to wonder why they didn't apply for citizenship before?

[butterfly133]

Yesterday I discovered that two colleagues are, in their words "frantically" applying for British citizenship. One of them has been here 35 years - nearly the length of my life! - as an adult (came here to work at 22) and the other has been here 18 years and spent 12 of those married to an English man. They are both from within the EU and in a panic about a possible Brexit. A more nosey colleague asked why they'd never applied before. I was surprised by the answers. 1) Neither of them care about voting 2) both of them had such full confidence in the EU getting ever closer and even Britain adopting the euro, they didn't think it would ever be "necessary".

My parents are not from the UK but they applied for citizenship the minute they were allowed (before I was born). They found the idea of wanting to live permanently in a country - which both of these colleagues wanted as well - and not having official citizenship to be odd and worrying, as well as "why pay taxes and have no vote".

I was also really amazed by the confidence these colleagues showed in the EU. I remember arguments about the EU from when I was a child, so certainly the older one would have known about those debates. Oh - they also said they were shocked how many votes UKIP got - in numerical terms even if only one seat. I was surprised by all of this. I don't think we will see Brexit, but if I were either of these two, I would have applied ages ago. So I was just surprised. Wondered what others thought?

[butterfly133]

bambambini "And your opening post did sound a bit goady, judgemental and Ukipish."

Oh dear. It wasn't meant to. I really meant that, like my parents, if I was planning to settle somewhere I'd worry and be anxious about not being a citizen, that's all. I'm not suggesting everyone should behave the same. I'm just a worrier, that's all.

If my comments are being interpreted as UKIPish, then I will be very very careful in future. I certainly wouldn't want to be thought of as that. I am far more likely to fear UKIP and the BNP. My skin colour is such that many don't think of me as British and that upsets me a great deal.

[WinterOfOurDiscountTents15]

Because its time consuming, expensive, and generally unnecessary. And because just because you live in a country that is not the one you were born in/grew up in, it doesn't mean you want to be a citizen of that country at all. For one point, some countries make you give up your passport/citizenship of your own country, and a lot of people don't want to do that.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

I've got ILR, passed life in UK test, etc. at the moment I don't have a spare £1000 laying about for citizenship (hopefully next year), where I'll get to swear allegiance to the Queen....who is already my Head of State (Australia).

[Andrewofgg]

I doubt if exit from the EU would lead to people already here losing their rights. When South Africa and Pakistan left the Commonwealth their nationals here were not adversely affected.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

I got ILR a couple of years ago, for the same day service I paid £1500

[Thistledew]

It is the sad truth that only British Citizens are allowed to live in the UK as of right. Anyone else, no matter how long they have been here or what their ties are, is here by permission. That permission can be revoked at any point by the government and doesn't even need an act of parliament to do so. Traditionally, the courts have had the power to overrule the government if it acts unfairly, but this government and the last one is working hard to reduce the courts powers to do so, and has already publicly stated that an order of the court is not a "trump card". Whether the government does have the gall to deliberately and openly defy the rule of a court remains to be seen, but they are certainly not afraid to chip away at their powers.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

It wasn't at risk before. Things have changed. Before the possibility of GB leaving the EU, I did not have to consider giving up citizenship of my home country and all that entails on an emotional level. It was not necessary to consider this before, it is now.

[MissMooMoo]

degust I paid the same, I think its now that cost for the postal route for ILR!
luckily Australia is one of the exempt countries from the english language test so don't need to pay for that!

[BabyGanoush]

I am one of these "fools"

My country has banned dual citizenship. You have to choose.

Whilst loving Britain, and hoping to stay here forever, I am not and never will BE british, despite having lived here since 1998.

I just cannot give up my original nationality, it is a big thing, and I feel I just could not do it. My birth country will always be my birth country.

[Nolim]

If the other country does not allow dual citizenship it s a matter of which citizenship offers more advantages.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

MissMooMoo, wow, that's crazy for a postal application! Yes it was good having the small concession of not having to take an English test (!!). The Oz government is no better though to be fair, DHs spouse visa when we eventually move is going to cost shedloads, they've just jacked the prices up for offshore applications.

[butterfly133]

BabyGanoush - who called you a "fool"? I most certainly didn't. These two colleagues consider themselves British and don't care for their original country.

To the poster who made the point about citizens having right to remain, the racism my parents encountered was another reason why they thought they should get citizenship, they felt more secure with it.

anyway, I certainly seem to have been misunderstood here. I don't know how to redeem this. I am new here. Should I get the thread pulled? It would be terrible to be new, non-white, the daughter of immigrants and have people think I am slating my EU colleagues in some way. This is really unfortunate.

[sparkysparkysparky]

Totally understand why people are reluctant to give up their birth citizenship. My Mum had option to be full British citizen but couldn't bring herself to do it. Due to quirk of when and where she was born she is a British SUBJECT with right of abode in the UK. It caused all kinds of visa problems when we went to visit relatives in US yonks ago but she still couldn't bring herself to be a full citizen. She's lived worked and paid taxes here her whole life. All her children and grandchildren are British.
I need to have a check whether she'll be Ok if we leave the EU ..

[knittingdad]

I think the existence of the EU could, quite understandably, have created a sense of complacency in these people. Now that they see that put at risk I think it is only logical that they will respond.

[sparkysparkysparky]

Don't worry, butterfly. Some people can have a dingdong in an empty room (that's why we have the internet! ) For what it's worth, I didn't read your original post as being goady or UKIP supporting.

[MrsNormanReedus]

My husband (not Norman, the other one!) is an EU national and been here 25 years. It pees him right off that he can't vote in a general election (but can vote in his home country even though he has no clue about or interest in the political situation there!) but not enough to naturalize. He's not patriotic of his birth country but would never discount returning there. Just because you choose to live somewhere doesn't mean it's going to be forever and you should take citizenship of that country. I am a firm believer that you should be able to live anywhere in the world if you are able to meet the requirements of that country. I myself am Scottish living in England but don't identify with any particular nationality, I suppose neither of us gets the idea of patriotism/national identity.

[MaidOfStars]

I am considering steps to cement dual citizenship (Brit + other EU country) in order to remain an EU citizen, should Brexit (yes, it's a well-known media term) come to pass.

[goldacre]

My Mil (American married to English FIL) became a British citizen recently only after living here for 45 yrs. She cba before and is seriously contemplating giving up her US nationality to escape paying tax!

[Mistigri]

I'm in this situation, although in reverse (long-term British migrant in an EU country).

Why did i never apply for citizenship?

• no need
  
• long and painfully bureaucratic process with no guarantee that citizenship will be granted
  
• I don't consider myself French. I'm happy with a british passport and I don't feel the pressing need for another one.
  

My kids will both have french citizenship next year - mainly because it's easy for them (born here, so they become French as of right at 13) and because for practical reasons it's useful for them to have a national ID card so they don't have to carry a passport. But if it meant giving up their british nationality then it would be a much tougher decision.

I don't think that for people in my situation there is now any hope of acquiring local citizenship before 2017 anyway, as the process was long enough even before the recent flood of applications from worried Brits.

[riverboat1]

I've been living and working in France fpr many years, and will certainly be here for at least another 8 or 9. I don't want to become a French citizen as essentially I don't feel French, I feel British. I feel like a British person living in France, so my British citizenship suits me fine here.

Culture is a funny thing, you don't realise how much the culture of a place where you were born and grew up shapes who you are until you leave that culture behind.

[Mistigri]

Worth mentioning, for others in my situation, that some countries offer a permanent resident's card for long term foreign residents. Both my DH and I will avail ourselves of a permanent "titre de sejour" well before the referendum!

[JassyRadlett]

I'm in a different category - non-EU immigrant, got ILR in 2011.

I don't have citizenship. I am able to vote here (which is bonkers, given that other permanent residents can't), and I no longer have to pass a labour market test to get a job. There are a few jobs that aren't open to me for security clearance reasons but they are few and far between.

I will probably apply for it eventually, when I can think of nothing I'd rather spend £1K on, and when I can bear to interact with the nice, efficient people in Croydon again. Over the last decade, and 5 different visas, they have swallowed quite a bit of my money.

[ActiviaYoghurt]

My friend sat the Britishness Exam (can't recall what its actually called) and there several questions about Dialects, asking where a Scouser, Geordie, Taff might be from, etc

She is an exec, lives and works in the City, not really travelled much in the UK, is a higher rate tax payer, working for a British company, volunteers for charity, sits on an advisory board for Government etc etc and nearly failed that exam!

Also as loads of people have postd the costs are very expensive.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

I must admit I'd never thought of it like that. For an Aussie of Brit descent like me, I'll be quite happy to take on UK citizenship when I can afford it (after all, all Aussies had UK passports until 1948 think it was) it also helps that both countries recognise dual citizenship...

[ActiviaYoghurt]

Don't get the thread pulled OP but do pass on tips to your colleagues about learning nicknames for regional dialects and do some research on regional foods.

Offer them some support if they are frantic about this,