UK expats in Spain show little interest in election back home

euronews (in English)

Spain hosts the largest British expat community in Europe. In the seaside town of Rojales, many UK citizens say they feel at home, but Brexit has complicated their lives.

Transcript

00:00The day begins slowly in Rojales on the Costa Blanca.

00:05It's time for a round of golf or a lazy coffee.

00:09This is how life is for the 300,000 British citizens,

00:13mostly retired, who have chosen Spain as their home.

00:17We've worked all our lives, so we want to have fun.

00:24In the cafes, people read English papers,

00:27news about places that feel distant from where they are.

00:43The UK's exit from the European Union has forced many Britons

00:47to return to their country every three months,

00:50and many who haven't secured permanent residency have sold their homes.

00:55A disaster. They hadn't a clue what they were voting for.

00:58The July 4th elections could change the political landscape in the UK,

01:02whose economy continues to be constrained by the consequences of Brexit.

01:07It's funny that in the election campaign,

01:09they don't talk about Brexit, but it's a kind of elephant in the room.

01:12If Labour wins, which is also being very careful with this issue,

01:16well, surely there will be a closer approach to Brussels and the community club.

01:22Even so, most Britons living in Rojales say they won't vote.

01:27I don't do politics, you know.

01:30It's not worth the hassle. It's not worth the hassle.

01:33But for those who wanted to vote, things haven't been easy either.

01:37The short notice of this election has prevented them from registering.

01:41I have tried to vote, and yet again, because I'm in Spain,

01:44it has been very, very complicated, and I have to have a proxy vote,

01:48so I have to get someone in the UK to vote for me,

01:50but the time has now passed in order for me to get that in place.

01:54As the UK prepares to go to the polls in a crucial election,

01:58these British citizens don't feel that the results will have any impact on their lives.

02:03I would particularly want the government to look at freedom of movement,

02:08you know, but that's tied up with immigration,

02:11and I think people are getting the wrong end of the stick,

02:14and they're so hit up with immigration that they can't see the end,

02:17which is why we had Brexit in the first place, really.

02:19Whatever the outcome, tomorrow will be another sunny day in southern Spain.

02:28For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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