Laurence Dollimore
THERE are more than double the number of British people in Spain than Spanish people in the UK, statistics have revealed.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), officially, there were 296,600 Brits in Spain in 2016, compared to just 116,000 Spaniards in the UK.
Some 78% of Spaniards in Britain work in the public sector, financial services, or the hospitality sector.
Half of those are between 29 and 39 years old.
The population of British pensioners in Spain has also jumped ‘notably’.
The ONS cited Spain’s National Institute of Population Statistics’ figures which show the proportion of over-65s in the British immigrant population has risen from 32% in 2011 to 40% last year.
There are 121,000 British pensioners officially registered in Spain, more than the entire Spanish immigrant population in Britain, the figures show.
Most Brits live along the coastal areas, with the notable exception of Madrid.
Alicante and Malaga have by far the most expats, with Murcia and Almeria the closest behind.
While almost 300,000 Brits are known to be living in Spain, hundreds of thousands are suspected to have not made themselves official.
Estimates of actual British population size in Spain are nearer the 800,000 mark.
Let’s be honest for a change. I voted to leave but was hoping that a satisfactory deal could be struck between the two parties of the UK and the EU. But seeing the amount of threats and demands being issued by the EU would it be wise to strike a deal under such threats. If nothing is advantageous to both sides would it not be better to just walk away. For those that wish to remain the outcome would be a tremendous blow for democracy. We would be forever more under the control of unelected nut cases. Uncontrolled borders. Billions being asked from the British taxpayers with no rebates which would also gradually increase. British laws controlled by a foreign entity. The creation of a Federal state with taxes imposed by Brussels on all EU states etc-etc, and the possibility of gradually being dragged into a EU army.
The list is endless. In the long run I can see the conditions that the EU will impose on EU countries will eventually cause mass upheaval which we are currently seeing a gradual distrust between with poorer countries set against the rich countries with possible outbreaks of fighting again. Europe could never become a United States of Europe, too much diversity between nations, culture and language. One cannot compare these thoughts of grandeur to The United States of America where the language alone is one. In various visits to America each and everyone that I had spoken to spoke English regardless of which country they came from whereas, as an example, the Spanish PM is lacking in the English language never mind the populations of the EU. I’m not stating that English should be the prominent language but just an example.
It’s our future generations one must consider not the few who are self seeking of today and the best way forward I now strongly believe is for the UK to become a free nation once again, a country wishing to make it’s own way in the World at large and not to be confined to the troublesome straight jackets of Europe. With each demand and threat by the EU my thoughts of a hard Brexit increases. Remember, Rome was no built in a day.
Irrelevant to the article. Rambling, inaccurate bombast. Worthy of Nigel Farage in his full, treasonous pomp. In fact, it sounds like he’s got his hand up your bottom working your mouth.