A British exit from the European Union could mean “years of uncertainty and worry” for expats in Malta, pro-EU campaigners have warned, as expats are encouraged to register to vote ahead of the June referendum.
“Today, expats are EU citizens and have a wide range of rights under EU law,” John Ramsden, a former British diplomat, told the Times of Malta.
“If Britain leaves the EU, unless other arrangements are put in place, they would be like any other third-country foreigner. Even their right to remain in the country could be restricted.”
There were 6,652 British expats in Malta for the 2011 census, nearly a third of all foreign residents, but there is little concrete information as to how their status – as with that of British residents across the EU – would be affected in the event of a Brexit.
The Times of London reported last month that, amid the uncertainty, some 100 British residents were leaving Spain every day.
The pro-EU campaign recently set up a website – register2stay.eu – aimed at providing expats with information about their rights and how to register to vote in the upcoming referendum.
“The government has reached out and made it easier to vote abroad, but we feel the expat community needs facts and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Mr Ramsden said.
They would be like any other third-country foreigner
British citizens can register to vote if they have been on a UK electoral register at any time within the past 15 years.
Those who left the UK before they were 18 years of age can register at their parents’ or guardians’ address, as long as they left the country not more than 15 years ago.
Applications for overseas postal votes must arrive by May 16, but campaigners are advising voters to register as soon as possible to ensure they make the list.
Despite the possibility of Britain leaving the EU, Malta’s strong bilateral ties with the UK could ensure that the rights of expats remain largely untouched.
On health, for example, a long-standing reciprocal health agreement between the two countries, currently superseded by the European Health Insurance Scheme, re-mains in force and would guarantee free healthcare even in the event of a Brexit.
Mr Ramsden, however, warned expats not to submit to the uncertainty of what could prove to be protracted negotiations.
“All the noises from the Leave campaign are about restricting the rights of EU migrants in the UK,” he said.
“We would expect that on the basis of reciprocity, British expats in Europe would experience the same thing.”