I had the misfortune of reading yet another dishonest and misleading AP article about the status of EEA nationals in the United Kingdom post-liberation. Were the tone not so predictable I’d almost laugh. These articles usually have a few stock characters fearing for their futures. That the British government has already committed to securing a permanent legal status for them is entirely irrelevant. Nor is it seemingly relevant that the British government has proposed new laws to allow EEA nationals to move to the United Kingdom with a job offer with the explicit understanding that they will not qualify for benefit.
The AP are among the most unethical and biased “news” agencies. Their most recent “piece”, however, made me wince. A Hun who has resided in the United Kingdom since 1999 has his knickers in a twist. Despite having lived in the country for 18 years and being married for the majority of that time to a British citizen, he could only be arsed to apply for ILR in late 2016. Anyone who has lived in the UK will know that British bureaucracy – when it’s fit for purpose at all – is verging on the Byzantine. Said Hun chose to go it alone and submit over two pounds of paperwork and the 85-page application without any legal assistance. I wouldn’t be so bold. I prefer hiring a solicitor when complicated legal matters are involved.
His application was rejected and he received the Home Office’s former “your application has been rejected, sort out your affairs and bugger off” standard response letter. It was only after a two-paragraph diatribe that he admitted that he knowingly submitted an incomplete application. It’s obligatory to include one’s actual passport. He submitted only a photocopy of his. An incomplete package must be rejected. He resubmitted his application with his passport and received ILR. After spending £3000 for ILR he decided that he wanted to leave the United Kingdom because his stupidity merited a churlish response from the Home Office. The Federal Republic, incidentally, has a provision allowing for Huns to hold multiple passports for this very reason. It would not have been a great burden to apply for a second passport and pay the £50 fee to avoid this.German bureaux are no more indulgent. I lost hundreds of euro because I was incorrectly advised.
Boadicea's Chariot 
I’m hoping my indefinite leave to remain in DK, acquired 13 years ago with little ado, will remain valid.
Janus: The UK and EU have already signalled that there will be no change in circumstances. At this point it’s a matter of triggering Article 50 in order to get that sorted out formally.
Yes, but it remains a potential negotiating point and therefore a favourite meeja distraction!
I understand that the UK was prepared to reach agreement on this prior to Article 50 negotiations.
But our ‘friends’ in the EU’ were unwilling.
Janus: Of course, and I find it highly irresponsible. My point was that a man who has lived for nearly 20 years in a country is throwing a tantrum because he willingly applied for ILR incorrectly. One knows that the Home Office isn’t exactly the friendly corner shop — just spending weeks at a time in the UK has given me a mild distaste for it. The media are so desperate to drive people to panic that they are finding anyone they can.This time, they really outdid themselves.
Jazz: You are correct. France, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal and Italy were all happy to get that sorted out in 2016. Germany stood in the way — humanity means far less in this wretched place than bureaucratic exactitudes and pedantry.
To judge by some reports today Spain is very keen to keep the one million or so British expats who live there and spend their money there. How very sensible. And the UK should be happy to keep those EU citizens who are in gainful employment here. Seems reasonable all round and I hope Denmark will realise what a treasure it has in Janus.
Aw shucks, Sheona…(blush) 🤓
Sheona: With any luck I’ll be handing the due pounds of flesh to HMRC and the West Dorset Council this autumn. By all accounts, skilled taxpayers will continue to be welcomed in the UK.
Skippy, you’ll have fun with the New Forest ponies and other animals……😏
Janus: West Dorset has the River Frome and ducks. I will be sure to feed ducks for you.
People don’t always change their status because they can’t be arsed! I have remained a legal resident of the USA since 1976 on sound legal advice. It can be advantageous when married to a different national to keep one of each so to speak. Especially if you own property both ends. I doubt at the end of the day any of the countries involved will throw out any that are gainfully employed tax paying foreigners. All project fear and piss and wind.
Haven’t been around for a while because my lap top didn’t seem to like the green tea I managed to feed it!
Next time I’ll throw some red wine instead!
The green tea was probably a bit of Chinese sabotage – ask your President.
CO: The difference being that you have ILR. In any event, the UK and USA allow for dual citizenship so even if you “did” take US citizenship you’d retain full rights in the UK. I simply have no sympathy for people who act like they’re victims because they couldn’t be arsed to secure their legal status and then bungle it when they finally decide to. The British government has already said that it will grant pro forma work permits to EEA nationals with a job offer in the UK. Various EU figures have already said that they will not restrict treaty rights previously held.
I really have a problem with people who can have dual citizenship but do not bother to take the option of taking citizenship of the country they have chosen to live in. I can understand that people who don’t have that option might think twice about relinquishing their birth-citizenship.
I believe that for many years America, along with a number of other countries, did not allow Americans who took citizenship of another country, to retain their right to American citizenship. Please correct me if I am wrong. I certainly met a few Americans living here in Oz who were reluctant to take Australian citizenship because they thought they would lose their American citizenship.
Britain never took the right of British citizens to retain their citizenship away – and so I found it quite hypocritical for former UK citizens who became Australian MPs to ‘renounce’ their UK citizenship on standing for Parliament here, since we all knew that after leaving Parliament they could apply for a new UK passport.
One of my Scottish friends here in Oz refused to take Ozzie citizenship because it required her to swear allegiance to Queen Lizzie and all her heirs… The problem came when she was on holiday in the Philippines (or somewhere like that) in the middle of a military coup… The British embassy pulled all UK citizens out and closed down. The Ozzie Embassy (rightly – I think!) said they had no obligation to solve her problem and get her out. She pleaded that “Her poor wee bairns were Australian, having been born in Australia, and she needed to get back to Oz”. Fortunately for her, the Australian Embassy did not check that these “poor wee bairns” were well over 21! They arranged for her to return to Oz PDQ. She took Ozzie citizenship as fast as she could!
I’ve just watched a ‘sob’ story on the news here about how EU residents in the UK are ‘fearful’ about their status in the UK – no mention at all about the fact that the UK wanted to sort this problem out and the EU has refused to discuss the issue.
Personally, I would hope that the UK returns all benefit-EU citizens to their country of origin, stops payment, benefits and other such things to EU citizens – and starts looking after their own.
Boadicea: I agree with you. The partial exception I would make is if someone intends to only live in a country for, say, 5-10 years. I am slightly less sympathetic to those who decide to live permanently in another country but refuse to take that nationality for any reason. Unless there is an intention to leave, one really ought to integrate as fully as possible. Should I actually manage it, I intend to apply for ILR as soon as possible and for British citizenship at the first possibility. If I lose German citizenship, so be it.
The US has allowed dual citizenship since 1967. The US also happens to make it extremely difficult to rid oneself of its citizenship. Acquiring another citizenship does not result in the loss of US citizenship. In fact, Germany even has a special legal provision allowing for citizens of countries such as the USA to become German citizens without renouncing their former citizenship — usually a requirement — because it is such an expensive and humiliating process. Whenever I have the misfortune of travelling to the USA it is made clear that my Hunnish passport is of no interest to anyone. There is no excuse.
The boy had dual citizenship having been born in Memphis. He had both passports since birth. The USA insists that dual citizens enter the USA on their American passports. He always carried both, entering the USA on theirs and coming back to the UK and entering on his UK one. No problems ever and never had to wait in the wogs queue!
But he was very careful to not carry his US passport to the middle East and Asiatic Russia!
The USA seems to have no problem allowing long term green card holders, after all, you get all of the duties but none of the rights of a US citizen! That seems to suit them fine. I have never been approached as to changing my nationality. They obviously don’t give a damn about it.
What none of you consider is the right of taxation. One has to be very careful if assets are held in more than one place one does not want to end up being taxed at both ends!!!
Sod the flag waving look at the bank balance, better in your pocket than theirs!
Bastards only waste it anyway giving it away to people you would generally step over in the gutter.
CO: Very few countries tax income earned/received in other countries. The US is one of the only two to do so indefinitely. One reason why there has been a surge in Septics cutting legal ties with the US is because in some countries, such as Switzerland, banks will no longer offer accounts to Yanks. Their choice is to either comply with US laws and face sanctions in Switzerland, or comply with Swiss law and face sanctions in the US. By denying Yanks altogether they can avoid this. The Yanks go on step beyond others by requiring anyone considered a “tax resident”, including those with ILR, to claim all income and assets.
CT, my British private pensions are taxed in the UK and in DK.
Janus: British income, Danish tax resident?
Yes. My pensions are taxed at source, declared here as income and subject to tax again. Them’s the rules!
Janus: As noxious as Septic tax laws are, the country has numerous tax treaties to prevent double taxation. Most will not face Septic taxes unless wages are far higher than usual.However, your situation is due to legal quirks and has little to do with holding a Danish passport or not — eller ej?