Exclusive: survey of Britons on continent shows ‘deep transformations’, shame and disappointment
The first major study since Brexit of UK citizens living in the EU has revealed its profound impact on their lives, with many expressing serious concerns over their loss of free movement and voting rights – and a very different perception of Britain.
The survey, of 1,328 British nationals across the continent, showed that if “the public narrative suggests Brexit is done and dusted, it has brought deep transformations to the lives of British citizens in the EU and EEA”, the study’s co-lead, said. “The long tail of Brexit is evident in its continuing impacts both on the way they live their lives, and in its lasting significance for their sense of identity and belonging,” said Benson, a sociology professor at Lancaster University.
Its certainly true. As a British person living in the Netherlands, I am always somewhat embarrassed when people ask me where I am from. When traveling in the rest of the EU, I always revive a much more positive response when saying that I am Dutch, compared to that I am British. Soon I will go through the naturalization process here, which requires renouncing my British Citizenship, and I can’t say I am particularly sad to give it up.
Brexit made us the joke of the world. Recently I was out for drinks with a Lithuanian friend and she remarked: “It’s very funny that now I have more rights and freedom in Western Europe than you do. Imagine saying that would be the case now 20 years ago!”