Cyprus has no plan of action to address the impact of the United Kingdom’s possible exit from the European Union on British expats living and working on the island, should June’s referendum result in a Leave vote, a senior government source told the Sunday Mail.
Reflecting expats’ growing concern over their future here as the June 23 milestone approaches, a blog post on online community cyprusexpat.co.uk, dated April 14, blasted the Cyprus government for its seemingly conscious decision to “stay on the sidelines” regarding Brexit.
“The British government has been campaigning about the pitfalls should the UK leave the EU, citing all kinds of scenarios,” the blog post said. “There is one very important partner in this debate, that should have been very informative, but has decided to keep quiet on the matter. The Cyprus government.”
It has left the British expats living and working in Cyprus to “fend for themselves” regarding their post-Brexit future on the island, the community charged.
Questions relating to the residency and employment status, business-venture framework, health-care arrangements, and property ownership rights of British expats already taking advantage of EU rules, have been left unanswered, largely because there are no real, hard answers at this point. No one knows what a Brexit will look like and by all accounts it will take a minimum two years of negotiations with Brussels, if it happens, to work out the terms. Member states, including Cyprus, will then likely be bound by the provisions of the Brexit whatever they might be.
Not good enough, the Cyprus expats insist. Will things continue under the same rules for existing expatriates, with different rules applying to newcomers? Will the new regime cover everyone? Could those affected be issued waivers and exemptions? Surely the local government can at least state its intentions on what it might be willing to accept in case of a Brexit.
The issue runs deeper than mere selfishness and concern over personal comfort, the expat community argues. It goes to the very heart of the public’s democratic right to know what it is voting on – what the repercussions might be, and any possible upsides. “The Cyprus government should inform the British expats of their intentions,” the blog post added. “Have they started negotiations with the British government in case of a Brexit? What are they willing to accept in the new status of a Brexit? What plans have they set in motion in case of a Brexit?”
According to the latest census, conducted in 2011, Cyprus is home to more than 24,000 Brits – but the real number is likely to be much higher as many don’t bother to register as permanent residents. Anyway, cultural, political and historical ties between Cyprus and the UK, as well as their shared capacity as EU members, have catalysed British presence in Cyprus. “Briitsh expats in Cyprus deserve more, as they contribute on a large scale to the economy, as well as the arts, sports, education and much more,” the expatriate community argued.
“We are one of those member states that, during the negotiations between the British government and the European Union at the request of the British, supported 90 per cent of what they were asking,” the official said. “We believe that we have a fair deal, and we hope that we’ll have a positive outcome.”
Realising this was not really an answer to the question at hand, the official decided to touch the crux of the matter – does someone, somewhere in government, know what lies ahead for Cyprus’ Brits if a Leave vote comes? Is there a plan?
“To be honest with you, we don’t have a Brexit scenario – what we’re going to do – and we believe at the end of the day it will be a positive vote,” he added. Positive, of course, meaning Stay.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides was received by the UK’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and one of the topics on the agenda was the upcoming referendum.
Cypriots in the UK – along with their Maltese counterparts – are the only non-Brit EU nationals allowed a vote in the referendum, on account of their country’s Commonwealth memberships. At the risk of being perceived as wagging the finger at UK Cypriots, Kasoulides issued a full-hearted appeal with them to vote to Stay.
“I believe that it is not in the interest of Cyprus for the UK to leave the EU for many reasons, mainly financial, but others as well,” Kasoulides advised the UK Cypriots. “It is neither in the interest of the Commonwealth to have a Brexit, because the Commonwealth benefits from the British presence in the EU, as the UK is at the forefront of policies such as tackling climate change, pursuing sustainable growth, etc. Therefore, I call upon our compatriots in the UK to seriously support the UK remaining in the EU. The European Union, which is facing so many challenges, must be reinforced and not weakened by exits.”
But the finger-wagging risk was minimal, Kasoulides knew, for he was preaching to the converted.
“The great majority of Cypriots [in the UK], to the tune of over 90 per cent, are going to vote in favour of the UK staying in the EU,” the anonymous senior government official explained.
“A month ago, the Cypriot federation in the UK issued a statement asking all Cypriots to go and vote in favour of the UK staying in the EU. And actually, I think this was one of the few times that Cypriots coming from both parties, the Labour and Conservative parties, have agreed.”
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