British expats living in Brexit limbo

By Bejay Browne

It’s been a bewildering week for British expats living in Cyprus, with Brexit Day – March 29 – just days away, while three massive votes in parliament took the lumbering process right to the wire.

Last Tuesday, MPs rejected Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement for a second time. Wednesday saw MPs vote to reject the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and on Thursday, they voted to seek an extension to the March 29 deadline. But only the EU can decide that.

For British expats in Paphos, where many of the 70,000 British in Cyprus live, this limbo-like existence is being greeted with a mixture of anger, resignation and sanguinity.

At stake for them is a whole host of issues including residency status and access to healthcare and benefits.

One piece of good news is that the British High Commission announced on Friday that the Cyprus government is preparing legislation to allow British expats another year from March 29 to get their residency status – MEU1 and MEU3 forms – sorted out.

Peter Morton, a 51-year-old British expat living in Paphos with his wife and family, started his successful removal, shipping and storage business more than ten years ago. In that time, he has moved hundreds of customers, mostly Brits, to and from Cyprus. He said that customers regularly discuss Brexit and share their concerns with him and his staff.

“We can only reply that no-one knows what will happen or if it will happen, it’s in limbo,” he said.

However, he feels ‘totally undaunted’ by Brexit and has made no preparations as yet, though he believes the British government and the EU have handled the entire debacle terribly.

“It seems like one doesn’t know what the other is doing. There is no humour in this situation at all and people’s lives being played with,” he told the Sunday Mail.

“I would have voted 100 per cent to remain in the EU. I am always proud to be British but parliament and the EU should have got the process sorted before making it so public.”

Many of the British expat community in Cyprus were unable to vote in the 2016 referendum because they had lived outside Britain for more than 10 years.

Diana Cooper, who moved to Cyprus two years ago, says she fears for the future and what being British means after Brexit.

“I liked being part of Europe. Some things needed tweaking with our membership, as with other countries, but to go it alone concerns me,” she says. “Especially living in Cyprus, where I feel the authorities could change their mind about wanting us here. I was proud to be a Brit and European, but not anymore, the world is laughing at us.”

She is pinning her hopes on another referendum taking place with a vote to stay in the EU.

Paul Harris, a British expat retiree, has lived in Paphos for 17 years and said the uncertainty doesn’t concern him, as the rest of the world is ready to trade with Britain.

“I find the situation bizarre that MPs can’t pull together as they do in war situations, they need to be a team,” said Harris who would have voted to leave the EU.

Jason Collins, a professional radio and wedding DJ, has lived in Peyia in Paphos for the last 12 years with his wife and 12-year-old son, who attends a local Greek school.

He finds the uncertainty surrounding Brexit disturbing and the lack of progress to secure a deal painful.

“Votes and more votes on issues that have already been rejected seems such a waste of time and just before the UK’s planned exit. It is all very desperate,” he said.

Jason and his family have already completed the MEU3 process for those living in Cyprus for more than five years as recommended by the British High Commission.

Collins believes that Theresa May has handled the process “as well as she could under very difficult circumstances”, unlike various UK politicians, who “selfishly voted for themselves and future careers in politics”.

“The EU have handled the process as well as can be expected,” he said.

The DJ, who would have voted to leave the EU, said his involvement in the tourism industry has kept him abreast of Brexit – and, yes, he understands the Irish back stop – because of the impact they effect it could have on visitors to Cyprus from the UK.

“This is something that many of us in the tourism sector rely on and it’s frustrating and annoying that little or no progress seems to have been made.”

Debbie Bell, UKCA club chairman and chef, has lived in Paphos with her husband for 15 years and thinks that both the British government and the EU have handled the Brexit process very badly.

“I would’ve voted to stay in the EU and although parliament is in disarray, I blame the EU for the current situation.”

Yvonne Scarborough, retired to Cyprus in 2004 with husband Peter, who died a year ago. She has no intention of ever returning to the UK and likens the UK-EU fiasco to the British TV comedy show Little and Large.

“One goes away and comes back with an answer and so it goes on.”

Yvonne would have voted to stay in the EU adding that the British public were not given all of the correct information at the time.

“Now people are going to lose their jobs as companies like Honda are now relocating. Nobody seems to know what to do.”

Like Cooper, she supports another referendum.