Brexit: Is the British government really doing enough to support Britons in Europe?
Through its embassies the British government has been holding outreach meetings with its citizens across the EU. But is it enough? Campaigners from Spain, France, Germany and Italy explain the pros and cons of the efforts of the British representatives to help their citizens in these troubled times.
Representatives from the British in Europe group were invited this week to give evidence to a parliamentary committee in London about the impact of Brexit and in particularl how a no-deal would affect Brits throughout the EU.
One of the things the representatives of British in Europe were asked about was the efforts by the UK government to inform citizens living in the EU of their rights and what they need to do to prepare for Brexit.
Embassies have been holding scores of outreach meetings across Germany, Spain, Italy, France and other countries to hear their concerns.
But have they been helpful? Is it enough?
Here's what the British in Europe representatives had to say.
Germany
Jane Golding, British in Europe's co-chair who is based in Germany said: "There have been a lot of events, which is good. I would say that some of them, until recently, focused too much on the withdrawal agreement and not enough on no-deal contingency.
"I think now there has been more focus from the embassy side on no-deal contingency. What they have done with us and with German authorities, for example in Berlin, in the last few months, is to organise info fairs.
"There is a very short presentation at the beginning, rather than a long speech about what the current Government position is, and people can go to stands where they can actually talk to German officials about issues like residency, insurance, health insurance, employment, professional qualifications and all those different areas.
"I must say that I think that our members in Germany have appreciated that approach. That sort of event is needed more and more—more co-operation with the authorities in-country and more focus on being able to answer people’s individual questions when they come along to an event."
France
British in Europe's Kalba Meadows said: "The situation in France is not quite as developed as the situation in Germany. We have a very different population.
"We are a rural population. British citizens in France are spread over a really wide area, with some living an hour or two hours from a big centre of population. That means that events that have been arranged don’t necessarily have a very large catchment area for people.
"One of the big problems has been that they have often been arranged at very short notice—sometimes a week or 10 days—and they have often been arranged during working hours. We have noticed that the numbers of people attending have been decreasing.
"They do not have terribly good feedback, because people say to us that they are not really addressing the issues. Therefore, people do not go.
"Another problem is that they are only advertised via social media— Facebook particularly—and you are simply not going to reach all British people living in France via social media. Of course, that leads on to a whole big question about communication and outreach. We do not have the same very positive report that Germany has. It could do better."
The British in Europe campaign group is appealing for financial donations to help with its work. You can find out more information and donate HERE.
Spain
British in Europe's John Richards, who lives in Spain said: "In Spain, the British embassy has made a lot of effort in respect of outreach, because there is quite a large population.
"Residents also use the filter of our associations.
"There are associations on the coast and mine, EuroCitizens, is basically concentrated on Madrid; we have all had a lot of interaction with both the British authorities, in the form of the embassy, and the Spanish authorities.
"There is a way that people can get information. We all have meetings of our respective organisations, which are well attended from time to time and less so on other occasions.
"It is not that people are living completely in the dark, but of course things can always be better. People are always concerned about their situation. There is an element of uncertainty that just cannot be explained however much outreach you have."
Italy
Jeremy Morgan, from British in Italy said: "We have had a lot of outreach meetings. Again, it is a population that is difficult to reach because it is partly rural and partly urban, but spread all over a very long country, so if you get 30 or 40 people at a meeting you have really done quite well.
"One of the problems was that, certainly in the early days, there was a great tendency to sell the party line. For example, I remember the ambassador giving a talk about a week before the second of the votes in the House of Commons on the withdrawal agreement, when it was fairly clear from the press that it was highly unlikely to be passed, being confident that it was all going to go through. That kind of thing is not helpful, because people are realistic. I would say there has been a great improvement over the past year, with much more focused attention on rights.
"By and large, if you want to find out what your rights are in Italy, you are better off looking at a British in Italy website, because we can be franker and clearer, or we can express doubts, whereas, because of the desire of the Government to maintain a relationship with the Italian Government, they will perhaps be rather more cautious in their wording.
"For example, there is a “Living in” guide for each country in the EU27; it is organised by the FCO, but you get it through your local embassy website. That is all vetted by London, so it tends to be a bit bland at times and not helpful."
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Representatives from the British in Europe group were invited this week to give evidence to a parliamentary committee in London about the impact of Brexit and in particularl how a no-deal would affect Brits throughout the EU.
One of the things the representatives of British in Europe were asked about was the efforts by the UK government to inform citizens living in the EU of their rights and what they need to do to prepare for Brexit.
Embassies have been holding scores of outreach meetings across Germany, Spain, Italy, France and other countries to hear their concerns.
But have they been helpful? Is it enough?
Here's what the British in Europe representatives had to say.
Germany
Jane Golding, British in Europe's co-chair who is based in Germany said: "There have been a lot of events, which is good. I would say that some of them, until recently, focused too much on the withdrawal agreement and not enough on no-deal contingency.
"I think now there has been more focus from the embassy side on no-deal contingency. What they have done with us and with German authorities, for example in Berlin, in the last few months, is to organise info fairs.
"There is a very short presentation at the beginning, rather than a long speech about what the current Government position is, and people can go to stands where they can actually talk to German officials about issues like residency, insurance, health insurance, employment, professional qualifications and all those different areas.
"I must say that I think that our members in Germany have appreciated that approach. That sort of event is needed more and more—more co-operation with the authorities in-country and more focus on being able to answer people’s individual questions when they come along to an event."
France
British in Europe's Kalba Meadows said: "The situation in France is not quite as developed as the situation in Germany. We have a very different population.
"We are a rural population. British citizens in France are spread over a really wide area, with some living an hour or two hours from a big centre of population. That means that events that have been arranged don’t necessarily have a very large catchment area for people.
"One of the big problems has been that they have often been arranged at very short notice—sometimes a week or 10 days—and they have often been arranged during working hours. We have noticed that the numbers of people attending have been decreasing.
"They do not have terribly good feedback, because people say to us that they are not really addressing the issues. Therefore, people do not go.
"Another problem is that they are only advertised via social media— Facebook particularly—and you are simply not going to reach all British people living in France via social media. Of course, that leads on to a whole big question about communication and outreach. We do not have the same very positive report that Germany has. It could do better."
The British in Europe campaign group is appealing for financial donations to help with its work. You can find out more information and donate HERE.
Spain
British in Europe's John Richards, who lives in Spain said: "In Spain, the British embassy has made a lot of effort in respect of outreach, because there is quite a large population.
"Residents also use the filter of our associations.
"There are associations on the coast and mine, EuroCitizens, is basically concentrated on Madrid; we have all had a lot of interaction with both the British authorities, in the form of the embassy, and the Spanish authorities.
"There is a way that people can get information. We all have meetings of our respective organisations, which are well attended from time to time and less so on other occasions.
"It is not that people are living completely in the dark, but of course things can always be better. People are always concerned about their situation. There is an element of uncertainty that just cannot be explained however much outreach you have."
Italy
Jeremy Morgan, from British in Italy said: "We have had a lot of outreach meetings. Again, it is a population that is difficult to reach because it is partly rural and partly urban, but spread all over a very long country, so if you get 30 or 40 people at a meeting you have really done quite well.
"One of the problems was that, certainly in the early days, there was a great tendency to sell the party line. For example, I remember the ambassador giving a talk about a week before the second of the votes in the House of Commons on the withdrawal agreement, when it was fairly clear from the press that it was highly unlikely to be passed, being confident that it was all going to go through. That kind of thing is not helpful, because people are realistic. I would say there has been a great improvement over the past year, with much more focused attention on rights.
"By and large, if you want to find out what your rights are in Italy, you are better off looking at a British in Italy website, because we can be franker and clearer, or we can express doubts, whereas, because of the desire of the Government to maintain a relationship with the Italian Government, they will perhaps be rather more cautious in their wording.
"For example, there is a “Living in” guide for each country in the EU27; it is organised by the FCO, but you get it through your local embassy website. That is all vetted by London, so it tends to be a bit bland at times and not helpful."
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