Spaniards in the UK are asking for more support in the face of Brexit challenges

This content was published on November 23, 2021 – 12:46

London, November 23 (EFE). Many organizations representing Spaniards in the UK have asked the Spanish administration for more support in facing the problems that Brexit poses in their daily lives, such as difficulty in validating studies or qualifications or applying for social benefits upon return. to Spain.

These groups, including the Association of Hispanic Scholars in the UK (SRUK/CERU) or Councils of Spanish Residents (CRE) in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, sign a statement listing the difficulties they are facing due to the change in regulations and relations between British society after Brexit. European.

The signatories demand, on the one hand, that the Spanish government “listen and respond to the requests of its citizens,” and, on the other, that it reach “bilateral agreements with the British” to resolve the current imbalance, Javier Pardo, director, told Efe. CERU Science Policy.

The associations assert that, as London executive statistics show, there are many Spaniards in the UK over 180,000 officially registered at the consulates, which means, among other things, that consular offices do not have the resources to attend to the actual population.

According to UK Home Office data, as of June 2021, more than 350,000 Spanish citizens have completed the mandatory procedures to remain and live in the UK, and it is believed that the population could be much higher if one takes into account vulnerable citizens, including minors.

The signatories point out that the new British immigration system poses problems because of its complexity for both Spaniards who already live here and for those who wish to come, which they ask the Spanish government to support with campaigns of advice and information.

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Agreements are also needed to facilitate ‘Certificate and Credit approvals’ for students and academics; Resolving a “lack of programs that facilitate the mobility of university students” who want to go to the UK and more easily access benefits and social benefits, as explained in the statement.

The signatories ask the Spanish government, among other things, to “maintain and provide adequate resources for the Brexit windows of the embassy and consulates,” to ensure that they have “an operational capacity adapted to problems that will arise . . . emerging,” they point out.

They also demand “a simplification of mechanisms for information exchange between the Spanish and British authorities”, “the unification of procedures and procedures in the three Spanish consulates” and information campaigns on all changes and regulatory requirements.

They also demand “flexibility in procedures affecting the return of Spanish nationals, as in the case of a driver’s licence, recognition or validation of titles”; Expand digital options for making arrangements and implementing “a treatment for Spanish citizens in the UK similar to what they enjoyed before leaving the EU.” EFE

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