Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain believes the change at the helm of US politics will be prove a decisive factor in the UK’s willingness to compromise over a Brexit deal. You have probably noticed that America is soon to have a new president. The current White House incumbent has his ears and eyes firmly closed and refuses to accept that his days are numbered. According to some sources in the UK media, our own head of state, Boris Johnson, may be in a similarly insecure position.

Since Joe Biden officially became the President Elect on Saturday, after what seemed like days of election uncertainty, he has hit the ground running. Despite not yet receiving any recognition of his win or offer of transitional support from Donald Trump, he has already started to implement important plans.

An urgent task for Biden is the fight against coronavirus. He has created a special task force, comprising health officials, physicians and virology experts. He has also actively encouraging the wearing of face masks by the American public – unlike Trump, who was pictured without one even when he was Covid positive.

The contrast between Biden and Trump could not be starker. In January, the American people will finally have an adult in charge: one who has a heart, a brain and a wealth of experience. The change will leave many UK residents feeling jealous that we are being led by “Britain’s Trump”. Prime Minister Johnson and Biden have never met, though they have now spoken on the phone. On Tuesday, Biden spoke with a number of European leaders, including Ireland’s Michael Martin. Biden reassured the Irish Taoiseach that Brexit must not damage the Good Friday Agreement, in a call that Martin described as “warm and engaging”.

On his call with Johnson, Biden stressed the importance of securing a Brexit deal that protects peace in Northern Ireland. Presumably, Biden’s earlier reference to Johnson as a “physical and emotional clone” of Donald Trump, was not mentioned.

Biden has made no secret of his disdain for Brexit and is fiercely loyal to, and proud of, his Irish roots.

Johnson’s Internal Market Bill (IMB) is a cause of consternation in America, as it threatens to break the international treaty of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA).
The deal that Johnson signed with the EU a year ago, settling the early stages of Brexit – including our rights as citizens – is under significant threat, along with the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Both Biden and the US government have made it clear that, as guarantors to the GFA, they will refuse any trade deal with the UK if Johnson reneges on his international commitments.

You can read the article in full over at The Local.

Sue Wilson considers the measures Spain is taking to combat the spread of coronavirus and whether they will be enough to prevent another lockdown.
As we approach November 9th, it’s time for Spanish authorities to define their next Covid measures. At present, national and regional governments are examining whether the latest strategies to curb the pandemic are working against a worrying spiral in cases in many parts of Spain.

When Congress voted for the new state of alarm – scheduled to last until May 9th 2021 – it devolved powers to local authorities to impose further safety measures. These powers, however, stop short of allowing autonomous regions to impose home confinement. Whether we should have a further lockdown, with people largely made to stay at home, is now being widely considered.

Many countries are revisiting the use of lockdowns against the virus, including the UK. Although some of the current lockdowns aren’t as restrictive as those experienced during spring, many countries view domestic confinement as a vital tool in the Covid armoury.

In Spain, the option of a further confinement – even a less restrictive one – is a topic that causes widespread disagreement.

Some regions, currently Asturias and Melilla, are requesting authority from central government to impose lockdown measures – a move that central government is resisting. The regions have the authority to impose other safety measures.

From the recent curfew to restrictions on crossing regional and even municipal borders, a degree of divergence and flexibility exists across Spain. Now some regions are introducing additional measures. In Castilla y León and Catalonia, fresh restrictions include the closure of bars and restaurants; in Asturias, it is the closure of non-essential businesses.

Experts are divided over the timing of further preventive measures. Some, such as Antoni Triller, Professor of Preventive Medicine at Barcelona University, suggest holding off until the impact of current measures is reflected in transmission rates. His view is supported by Andrea Burón, spokesman for the Spanish Public Health Association (Sespas), who believes another week is required to review the impact of current measures.

You can read the article in full over at The Local.

The news that the Spanish government has declared a new state of emergency was greeted with a mixture of emotions by Brits in Spain, writes Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain.
Some people were grateful for the efforts by national or regional government to stem the viral tide. Others were upset at more restrictions being imposed on their already disrupted lifestyles. Perhaps the most common reaction was confusion.

With the announcement coming last weekend, it’s still early days. As time passes, the rules will surely become clearer, especially as regional authorities clarify what is happening in their own area. While there will certainly be some nationwide rules, the regional governments have a degree of flexibility to tinker around the margins.

It’s not possible to gain immediate answers but it’s useful to know where to look.  A good place to start, if you understand Spanish, is the government’s own website. This presents the official bulletins – in this case, Boletín Official de Estado 282, which confirms the government announcement.

Websites are a great source of information, such as the English language version of the government website, La Moncloa. The Bremain in Spain website provides updates on Covid rules, as well as a dedicated page for updates from the Embassy. The British Embassy itself is also a reliable and well-informed source. Or you may prefer to source information from social media where you have the opportunity for interaction.

The Embassy Facebook page, Brits in Spain, contains lots of information relating to life in Spain and has regular Q&A sessions. You can sign up for email alerts on the dedicated Embassy website for British residents.

Another excellent social media source is the N332 Road Safety Association Facebook page, which provides national information and shares details of regional government measures.

As regional authorities determine their own Covid measures, they will issue specific guidance. The restrictions could be a moveable feast, thanks to a continuous process of measuring and reviewing their effectiveness in controlling the virus.  

You can read the article in full over at The Local. 

Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain takes a look at the latest calls to safeguard the rights of British citizens living in the EU in the wake of Brexit and how there is still more to be done.
With Brexit negotiations randomly on again, off again, it’s rare that the topic of citizens’ rights comes up these days. We regularly hear about fishing, or the “level playing field”, but our rights as UK citizens have recently been largely ignored.

This week, the Future Relationship with the European Union committee (FREU) proved that it still has our best interests at heart with the publication of a report. The cross-party House of Commons committee, headed by Hilary Benn MP, has always looked out for the rights of British citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK.

Formerly known as the Exiting the EU committee, until Brexit was “done”, it has listened to evidence from many witnesses representing various demographics and sectors. Campaign groups for UK citizens in the EU, and EU citizens in the UK, have regularly presented evidence concerning the issues we face after Brexit, myself included.

At this late stage, it’s reassuring that the committee is still focusing on our rights and is unanimous in its conclusion that these “must be a priority”. In its report issued on Tuesday, FREU urged “the UK and EU to ensure that the citizens’ rights protections in the Withdrawal Agreement are fully implemented for UK nationals living across the EU and EU citizens in the UK”.

You can read the article in full, along with the committee’s points of note for UK citizens in the EU, over at The Local. 

Initially nervous at the prospect of travelling to the UK from Spain during Covid-19 times Sue Wilson found the lack of checks by British authorities only served to increase her unease.

As those of us with family and friends in the UK are aware, travel between Britain and Spain is currently problematic. The Covid safety measures implemented throughout Europe have made travel difficult, if not impossible. The UK government’s application of quarantine to visitors from Spain have only made the situation more complex and unsettling.

With new cases rising exponentially – especially in Spain, France and the UK – many people welcome a cautious approach from governments. However, confusing rules that are not backed by any scientific evidence do little to inspire public confidence. This applies to residents and visitors alike.

Although Spain is experiencing Covid levels matching those in March, thankfully the death rate is down significantly. This seems to be a pattern worldwide, even in countries that are experiencing more cases than ever before. UK cases are at their highest level to date – approximately three times higher than at the peak during lockdown. However, the safety measures are less restrictive than during the “first wave”.

Many people have expressed concern re their safety and that of their UK families. With obvious exceptions – such as Covid hotspot Madrid – Brits appear to feel safer in Spain than in the UK.

Having recently returned from a three-week trip to the UK, I was initially nervous at the prospect. I was concerned about flying and potentially being trapped in a crowd at the airport. I need not have worried. Only 31 people were on my flight and the usually packed passport control area at Stansted airport was deserted. Baggage reclaim was the only place with any sign of life.

I duly completed my online paperwork for the British government, detailing where I was staying and providing contact details for track and trace. During two weeks of quarantine, I was never contacted. I can’t say I was surprised, but the lack of contact increased my unease about my personal safety in England.

When I was finally free to go outside, I visited my mum in her care home for the first time in eight months. Those visits – for a maximum of 30 minutes a day – involved me wearing an apron, mask and gloves and maintaining a two-metre distance. Not an ideal way to spend our reunion, but a price worth paying for the safety of the care home residents and staff.

You can read the full article over at The Local. 

Sue Wilson analyzes the UK’s controversial Immigration Bill and why it’s important for Brits in Spain.

The British government has recently faced a string of defeats in the House of Lords over its controversial Immigration Bill.

Against the backdrop of the Conservative Party conference, and some toxic anti-asylum-seeker rhetoric from Home Secretary, Priti Patel, members of the House of Lords emphatically voted against the government’s plans.

The five government defeats largely concerned amendments about the rights of immigrants in the UK. Not least the Dubbs amendment, aimed to protect the rights of unaccompanied child refugees. However, the Lords are also concerned with the rights of British citizens living in the EU.

For people protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, the Lords propose provisions for UK citizens “to return to the United Kingdom accompanied by, or to be joined in the United Kingdom by, close family members”.

Peers also backed not placing financial restrictions on Brits returning to the UK with their EU families from March 2022.

For those residing in the EU, the issue of being separated from close family members is important.

How can anyone choose between a dependent in the UK and one in Spain? Nobody should be forced to make that decision.

Thanks to Brexit, we must adjust to a new normality. It rubs salt in our wounds that the EU is more willing to protect our rights – including freedom of movement – than the British government has ever been.

When the Brexit talks started, our freedom of movement was on the negotiating table. It did not remain there for long, once prime minister, Theresa May, insisted on her red lines. To ensure that EU citizens’ rights in the UK were restricted, the rights of UK citizens in the EU became collateral damage in the negotiations.

To read the full article pop over to The Local.