Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH-German couple have given up on living in Spain after being told to ‘go back home’ and facing a ‘bureaucratic nightmare’ due to post-Brexit residency rules.
Janie Garner, 45, her husband Leighton and their 11-year-old twins took the plunge and moved to Mijas on the Costa del Sol last December.
The family had bought a holiday home in the resort in July 2022 and described the location as their ‘happy place’.
However they have since moved back to the UK after their dream move turned into a ‘nightmare’, plagued by unfortunate housing woes and residency issues, reports the i.
Janie has a German passport, meaning her and the kids had access to freedom of movement.
Leighton, however, only has a British passport, which since Brexit means he cannot automatically live and work in the EU’s Schengen zone.
While he can be accepted as he is married to an EU citizen, Janie said his initial application for residency was denied and that the red tape was infuriating.
Speaking to the i, she said: “The whole process was getting ridiculous and we just felt like second class citizens.
“Even though we were coming to Spain and giving our money and livelihood, we were made to feel like a burden and it just felt so rude. There are so many people who don’t realise what Brexit has done.”
She added: “We also experienced abuse from some people who told us to go back home to our own country and that didn’t make us feel very welcome.”
The couple said the residency denial was the final straw after a series of issues and setbacks.
This included the villa they moved into being plagued with plumbing and electrical faults, before a blockage issue revealed they were right above a septic tank.
Janie also claimed that life in Spain is not as cheap as people think because ‘it is a completely different lifestyle’ and that ‘if you want to see people, you have to go out for dinner or a drink and socialise and it all adds up.’
She also criticised how ‘everything is dead’ during the winter months.
Janie said she wanted to warn people against selling up everything and moving to Spain without knowing what it entails, adding that they are ‘so happy’ to be back in the UK.
She added: “I spoke to one man out here who gave up everything, sold his home in the UK and bought a beautiful home in Spain, but because of the red tape, he is not allowed to live here and can only stay 90 out of 180 days, so he then has to go back to the UK and rent somewhere there…
“Leaving the UK and moving to Spain is not all it is cracked up to be and we are so happy to be back at our base.”
She insisted that she still loves Spain and that the family will be returning as tourists.
Whilst the family has all my sympathy, they should try the UK inmigration system and dealing with Home Office which is a hundred times worse! The “hostile environment” is still very much in force. Brexit has caused problems for many people who work in different countries, especially those who have travel. The saddest part is there were Brits in Spain who voted for it and left the rest us to deal with mess.
yes. turkeys voting for Christmas! some very stupid people.