Step up now Boris! PM warned to get tough with Spain as British expats face Brexit hell

Boris Johnson 'needs to step up for British expats' says expert

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Expats are now reportedly leaving the popular destination in large numbers after Brexit saw tougher immigration rules introduced. Britons looking to move to Spain are now required to meet certain conditions to gain resident status, including financial means and health cover. More than 350,000 Britons are registered as permanent residents in Spain, but recent statistics revealed 2,400 British residency applications were rejected this year.

UK citizens can now only visit Spain without a visa for up to three months for tourism and business purposes, and the Spanish Government has warned overstaying their welcome can be considered a “serious offence”.

The punishments range from fines of between €501 (£429) to €10,000 (£8,562) a possible expulsion from Spain as well as a potential ban from the Schengen area (Spain, France, Greece and Portugal) for six months to five years.

When asked about expats being forced to sell their homes in Spain, Leon Fernando Del Canto, founder of London-based tax set Del Canto Chambers, told Express.co.uk: “This is a serious issue for those not wanting to become tax residents in Spain and who bought their properties before Brexit.

“There is, from my point of view, a serious human rights infringement on those cases, as no one must be deprived from their rights to enjoy their property freely.

“The 90 days Schengen limitation should be waived on those cases.

“It is quite worrying for those who owned property in Spain before 31st December 2020, and who have not yet got a residency permit.

“The UK Government should take the issue of the property owners’ human rights affected by Schengen to the Spanish Government.

“This is also a case in other EU jurisdictions.”

Del Canto launched a furious attack against the issues facing British expats who bought homes in Spain before Brexit, claiming their human rights have been violated in accordance with the European Human Rights Convention (EHRC).

He added: “Their rights are being infringed by the Schengen limitations in accordance with the European Human Rights Convention (EHRC).

“This states that individuals have a legal right to ‘peacefully enjoy’ the possession of their home and deprivation of possessions by states should be subject to certain fair and equitable conditions.”

“It is worth noting that in addition to the UK being a member of the Council of Europe, the ECHR applies to any foreign citizen in Spain.

DON’T MISS
Brexit: UK makes up for Commonwealth betrayal [LATEST]
Covid: Act NOW! Boris given last-chance [REPORT]
Kuenssberg’s Today Programme move torn apart [COMMENTS]

“State rules preventing people from peacefully enjoying their property, independently of whether it is their main residence, are likely directly to violate that convention right.”

The latest official data from Spain’s Land Registry revealed the number of new British home buyers dropped to a historic low, accounting for just 9.5 percent of all purchases.

Property expert and real estate managing director Robert Barnhardt recently told Express.co.uk many Britons in Spain are now starting to sell their properties because of increasing post-Brexit difficulties.

He said: “A lot of retired British people are starting to sell up.

“They used to come down here in September or October and then stay until April/May for the six months of better weather.

“But now they can only come for 90 days and also a lot of them used to drive down. The Spanish are now getting pretty strict on foreign plated cars and mainly British cars.

“Down on the rural roads, where I live out in the sticks, a lot of people have been driving around in the same English cars.

“I mean I’ve certainly seen them for 10-15 years with the same vehicle. And now it’s against the law and they’re being impounded.”

Source: Read Full Article