The Mad Rush for Dual Nationality Passports in the European Union

CHELMSFORD, U.K. - June 29, 2016 - PRLog -- Did you know that there are more than 1,500 people who are seriously considering applying for second passport or getting out of the UK for good? Blame it on Brexit, which has created this mad rush for second passports to any of the EU member countries. These people plan to hold dual citizenship, but move to a country of their choice in the European Union. One can't deny the fact that this development is a direct outcome of the EU referendum, where the "Leave" group voted with certainty and made sure that Britain exits from the bloc.

As early as August 2015 several UK citizens have been contemplating moving to another country in that is a member in the European Union.  They were probably aware of the precariousness of Britain's membership in the EU and that Brexit was an inevitable eventuality. The consequences of Brexit for the EU immigrants living in the UK and for Brits living in Europe are probably not being realized by the people at large.

It is quite possible that a situation may arise where UK citizens will need to stand in a queue in order to get visas for travelling to any member country in the EU. UK citizens who chose to stay back in whichever country they were at when Brexit happened will probably have to apply for citizenship in that country, and learn the language of the country as well if required to pass a language test. Similarly gaining access to education, healthcare and receiving welfare grants too would be restricted, with a lot of red tape to be navigated through.

Life in the UK without a British passport is quite unimaginable: https://www.ukimmigrationcentre.co.uk/blog/life-in-the-uk...

Already, quite a few UK citizens living in some member country or the other have been seeking citizenship of the country of domicile. It is not surprising that the day the referendum results came out there was a flurry of activity as people were frantically searching on Google, trying to find out about "getting an Irish passport", and they were not idle searches mind you. Ireland's foreign ministry confirmed that they have received quite a few applications for citizenship from Britons. This is for the benefit of over 430,000 Irish-born folks living in the England, Scotland and Wales.

A person with a parent born in Ireland need not worry as he or she will automatically be eligible to apply for a passport, no matter where they live currently. Similarly, people with Irish-born grandparents or parents who held Irish citizenship at the time the child's birth are also eligible to apply. Even Northern Ireland residents have been busy applying for an Irish passport just because they want to retain their EU status, and are thankful they are allowed to do so. It's not just Ireland either; there are several other European countries where people have been trying to apply for citizenship, as long as it lets them retain the EU status unchanged.

Ireland's minister for foreign affairs and trade Charlie Flanagan confirms that there has been a sudden rush of inquiries for Irish passports in Northern Ireland, England and other countries. He also reassured the UK citizens who were Irish-born or eligible for an Irish passport that their rights are intact, irrespective of the outcome of the referendum.

He went on to say that the sentiment clearly indicated there is serious concern amongst quite a few UK passport holders that their rights as EU citizens have ended, and they are stranded wherever they are. He gently reminded them about the 2-year moratorium that allowed them enough time to contemplate and make wise decisions. Ian Paisley, MP, North Ireland encouraged the people in his constituency (North Antrim) to apply for a second passport, although he was a staunch supporter belonging to the "Leave" group.

Many are contemplating on applying for an Austrian passport so that they can continue to enjoy the benefits of being within the EU, though the precondition that one has to volunteer for Austrian Military Service is a deterrent many are willing to ignore. With the future being so uncertain, people are willing to compromise in any way possible to overcome the issues they are facing because of Brexit. It is not just dual nationality that people are interested. Some want to get away from it all and settle somewhere abroad, leaving the UK once and for all.

Seeking employment for some post Brexit is going to be a difficult proposition. While being asked for documentary evidence supporting their residency or right to remain, a passport may not suffice is what some lawyers say. More solid proof needs to be produced in order to convince the prospective employer. While applying for a visa, conditions like fluency in the English language, and several other factors apply. Moreover, one needs to have resided in the country for a continuous period of 5 years to be eligible to apply.

Even people who have been living in Britain for 10 or 20 years may find it difficult while applying for permanent leave to remain post Brexit because as they need to have safely preserved paperwork like P6os. There are over 1.3 million Britons living in several of the member countries of the EU, and all of them are quite confused because of the uncertainty that haunts them now. There is a sad possibility where British expats could end up becoming illegal immigrants in their own country of origin, thanks to Brexit again, which is the culprit. Even if granted citizenship, they may not be granted other rights including benefits, pension, and healthcare.