· Charities and organisations that support UK nationals living in the EU have been awarded a share of the funding
· The £3 million fund will assist UK nationals to apply to protect their residency rights
· Residents in Spain, France, Germany, Cyprus, Italy, and several other EU countries will benefit
Charities and organisations will receive government funding to provide practical support for UK nationals living in the EU with their residency applications. This includes potentially at-risk groups such as pensioners and disabled people.
The organisations will each receive government funding to support those who may find it harder to complete all the paperwork required for residency applications. This includes pensioners, disabled people, those living in remote areas or who have mobility difficulties, and those who require help with language translation or interpretation.
One of the beneficiaries of the fund is Age in Spain – a charity that helps older British expatriates. They will be working across Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, while Asociación Babelia will be providing support in Alicante.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:
“These organisations are doing vital work to support UK Nationals in the EU and this funding will help secure their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, so that they are given the security and stability they need.”
British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott said:
“This fund will be a valuable complement to the extensive work that our consulates have been doing over the past three years to prepare UK nationals for our departure from the EU. The chosen organisations will be able to provide one-to-one, specialist support to those citizens that need it most; helping them to register as a resident and secure their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.”
Now that the UK has left the EU, some UK nationals living in certain EU member states will need to take actions to secure their residency rights, so that they can continue to live and work in their host country as now.
Over 1 million UK nationals live in EU and EFTA countries; more than 350,000 of them here in Spain. Charities and organisations based in Spain, who are receiving funding from the ‘UK Nationals Support Fund’ include:
· Age in Spain
· Asociación Babelia
· International Organisation for Migration
This extra assistance will build on the information and support that British Embassies are already providing.
Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK nationals living in the EU at the end of the transition period can continue to live and work in their host country. Anyone who is legally residing in Spain by 31 December 2020 will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
As part of the ongoing information campaign, the government is encouraging all UK nationals in the EU to visit the Living in Guide on gov.uk for the country they live in and sign up for tailored alerts to receive the latest information about what actions they may need to take. Further details on how to contact implementing organisations will be available soon; UK nationals in Spain should subscribe to gov.uk/livinginspain for updates.
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