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?
AIBU?
to wonder why they didn't apply for citizenship before?
butterfly133 · 02/06/2015 10:07
I got ILR last year and didn't pay £1200 
I am also able to vote in elections, although this last one was the first GE since I've lived 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. That's so true!
I have lived in the UK for nearly all of my adult life and plan to stay here. I took out British citizenship after dd was born. (It cost a lot less then and I never had to take any test 
) If I had to give up my original nationality, I never would have done it.
I am an EU citizen and have lived, studued and worked here for nearly 11 years. DH is British, and DS has a UK passport. I don't think they (the government) would throw me out of the country even in the unlikely even of "Brexit". Not while I am doing my degree anyway and paying through the nose for it (so, for the next two years). After that if, they are inclined to throw me out.. fankly, I will go somewhere I am wanted. Either my DF's country where I grew up until the age of 22 and where most of the rest of my family is, or my DM's country where I have family ties, speak the lingo, and there's a family house sitting empty. DH and me can work anywhere in the world. I'd rather not spend over a thousand I don't have and study for a ridiculous test, just to be able to vow allegiance to the queen (I am an anti-monarchist).
Incidentally I have never heard of a Taff. Sounds like a breed of dog 
I want to say that I do love the culture here (just in case someone though I didn't!), which is why I have come here, and would rather not move away any time soon. However, maybe my ideal way of living, where I can float from a country to country at will (I feel very much an European citizen, rather than any one nationality), is about to come to an end 
I'd rather not spend over a thousand I don't have and study for a ridiculous test, just to be able to vow allegiance to the queen
If vowing allegiance to queen and country a la 007 allowes me not to worry about visas in the future i will do it!
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