The vast majority of the people complaining about losing the right to live and work in the EU have no intention of exercising that right. The percentage is tiny and most of them are middle class relatively well off people who don't give a fuck that freedom of movement has provided a steady stream of low skilled migrants that have suppressed the wages of working class people for years, and the vast majority of them will be granted a visa if they apply for one.
Throughout this process there has been many examples of Remainers crying about what might be and using anything and everything they can latch on to as they try to present the UK in a bad light / weak position.
This argument should be considered after there is settlement between the UK and the EU-wide or between the UK and specific countries where the majority of Brits go to live.
I spend a lot of time in Cyprus and personally know a lot of people that would be affected. Whilst I hear people discussing the issue and of course everyone wants clarity and certainty - I do not hear a great deal of concern and angst.
Indeed - it is pretty much unthinkable that Cyprus would opt to make a decision that is negative towards the UK residents - indeed this could only become a real, rather than hypothetical, issue if the EU were to seek to impose some policy as part of negotiations. For Cyprus it would be a massive shooting its own interests in the foot. I am sure that the situation would be the same in Spain and other countries where there is a major retired UK population.
It does not need a Kissinger type negotiation to sort arrangements out - in fact it is all very straight-forward - so yes, it is likely that all those making a big issue of it now before the negotiation outcome is understood are either:
- People with genuine concerns because it affects their plans and their nervous disposition leads them not to be able to think logically and await the outcome of negotiations
- People who are currently retired abroad and of course want certainty and any uncertainty fuels their, currently unfounded, anxiety - but again the likely outcome is one of fair and reasonable agreements
- People that are still in Brexit denial and are just looking to whinge and whine in their denial
Of course there are going to have to be 'procedures' and therefore it will not be as seamless as FOM - but you make an excellent point when you comment:
"The percentage is tiny and most of them are middle class relatively well off people who don't give a fuck that freedom of movement has provided a steady stream of low skilled migrants that have suppressed the wages of working class people for years, and the vast majority of them will be granted a visa if they apply for one."
When the impact within some areas of the UK of FOM has had is compared to a bit of inconvenience resulting from the need for filling a few forms in for intended retirees, the disingenuous nature of the arguments of some on here is fully exposed.
Also, it is clear that some on here clearly do not understand the inherent discrimination that FOM forces EU member states, such as the UK, to adopt
