Alicante’s British Consul Sara-Jane Morris was in Torrevieja on Monday where she spoke to an audience of about a hundred British residents about the agreements and further negotiations regarding BREXIT that are currently taking place between the UK and the EU.
Deputy Mayor Fanny Serrano and Councillor for Foreign Residents, Carmen Morate, also attended the meeting at which Ms Morate stressed the availability of the City to act as as a mediator so that these informative meetings can be held. She said “they are very important in order to highlight the concerns of British Expats. The questions they raise are many and must be resolved so that they can make any necessary arrangements as soon as possible.” She added that another meeting is scheduled for next October.
The meeting took place in the Hall of the Plenary Session of the City Council, where concerns were raised on behalf of the nearly 5,000 Britons who live in the city, many whom have done so for many years.
Among the issues raised were health care, the European Union Registration Certificate, a right to vote and the continuing payment of pensions from the UK.
The British consul said that answers to many of the questions raised are not known but it is an absolute necessity “that the British living in Spain have their correct certificate of registration and their certificate of Residence before the March 19 next year because it is important that they are legally registered as living in Spain.” She added that the negotiations for those who are residents of Spain before the exit date will continue with the same rights and obligations as they currently enjoy.
The representative of the National Association Brexpats inSpain, Richard Hill, and the British vice-consul of Alicante, Sarah Munsterhjelm, were also present at the meeting.