WIBU to move to Ireland to give birth

[DahlTheGalah]

So that my baby would be an Irish and therefore EU citizen?

It seems farfetched to me, but I'm half serious. I am still so sad about Brexit, and being pregnant is bringing it home more as I've had the most wonderful and enriching experiences studying, living and working in Europe and am sad my baby may well not have those opportunities in the same way.

Currently, babies born on the island of Ireland to British Nationals get Irish (and therefore EU) citizenship. I am not Irish, but British currently living in Britain, and would be just making use of this law.

Has anyone else thought of doing this for the same reasons, or actually gone ahead?

How U am I being?

[PaperBagPrincesa]

Ive filled out habitual domicile forms but obviously they cant demand that you "commit" to living in any location in the future.

[anon1784925]

"You could rent an apartment short term and stay for a few weeks."

This would only work if your local CCG in England agreed to cover the costs - if you are not moving to NI indefinitely, the local health authorities (HSCNI) will refuse to pay for it and you will be stuck with the bill. Be careful!

[RhiannonOHara]

Do it.

My grandmother was from an Irish family, but they had the lack of foresight to move to the uk just before she was born. Have cursed this every day since the fucking Brexit vote.

[Payitforward55]

I would do it (in NI I mean) You could rent an apartment short term and stay for a few weeks. Drive over on the ferry so you have your car. I can have both British’s and Irish passports. My British one has expired and i’m In no hurry to renew it I just travel on my Irish one.

[nomad5]

My DCs I mean

[nomad5]

YANBU!

I was coincidentally living in Ireland for work when they were born. I am so grateful they are Irish citizens. It was the first thing I thanked my lucky stars for after Brexshit.

[sunshine11]

My father is from Northern Ireland and so myself and the kids can have Irish passports. Yippee!

Its a nice idea but risky and a little silly really don't you think?!

[boboismylove]

I seriously thought of doing this, but it was early days after the ref and was still in denial.

I think its understandable. Sure, people may still be able to travel as tourists to Europe, but we will lose the right to live, work and study there - study for free in certain countries. Also, as an EU citizen you have strong family reunification rights in third countries - I used these in Sweden when my non-European ex was in a potentially life-threatening situation. This isn't just about being able to go on holiday without a visa. We don't know what is going to happen to our rights after we leave, and you never notice it until it directly affects you one day. Its not "spoilt" to be deeply concerned about this stuff.

Lots of people chose to give birth in particular hospitals in England, not always their most local. And people move across Welsh/ Scottish/ borders for treatment that is only available in England and vice versa. I don't see a massive ethical problem.

[KnowItNo]

I am an employer in France for low/unskilled employees. We do not hire non-EU citizens because it's a mega hassle and we have a wealth of willing and available EU applicants.

You can't just get a job anywhere you like, particularly when you a from a country that is introducing restrictive employment opportunities for citizens of the country you are trying to get a job in!

[HermioneAndTheSniffle]

for all those people who are irate that the 'remoaners' didn't just overnight accept that they were wrong because 52% people did not agree with them.... I just don't get that argument. Do Tory supporters just accept they were wrong when the Conservatives lose an election and join the Labour party (or vice versa)?

Lol. I am trying to imagine Boris Johnson becoming Labour if/when labour next wins the next election. Or TM...
Nope not going to happen....

[HermioneAndTheSniffle]

I know people who have gone abroad, decided to stay and got citizenship. Why would anyone not do that? As someone said, forward planning.

Because it only makes sense if the country you are living in asks you for a visa etc...
If you are able to live in that country with exactely the same benefits than the citizens of that country and wo any visa (which is what the EU is about) why on earth would you want to spend thousands getting a citizenship that will give no advantage at all??
Fwiw atm getting the British citizenship costs around £3k (for an eu citizen).
Seeing that most people in the uk do not have £10k of savings, this is a very big expense to go for when it will give you nothing.
Or at least, it wasn’t until 18 months ago.

[Iprefercoffeetotea]

I've been going abroad, have property abroad and have friends who work abroad and we were doing before the "common market" & will continue to do so when we exit. There is nother going to be some forcefield around us stopping us travelling out of the country!!

No, but rather than just hopping on a plane as you do now for your week in Ibiza you might have to go on a trip to the Spanish embassy and apply for a Schengen visa. Or at the very least, get an ESTA-type visa waiver document. I hope that we'll be continue to travel to EU/EEA countries without restriction for holidays and short-term trips but at the moment nobody knows what the rules will be.

Studying could become prohibitively expensive for all but the richest, and working will only be possible if you have very special skills. As I mentioned above, you can't just go to Australia because you feel like it.

Having an EU passport means you retain your EU citizenship. It could be that for things like studying they look at where you live, so if you're say a German citizen but have lived all your life in the UK, you'll be treated as coming from the UK - it happens here for British citizens who have lived overseas and want to study in the UK. But nobody knows that at present and certainly having an EU passport hedges your bets.

[wherestheweightlosspill]

@ PolarBearskhire
Supposed to understand democracy and votes have decided this. Stand for YOUR country or move away altogether. UK passport gives easy and perfect access to so many destinations. - It does now, because we're in the EU..... it won't necessarily post Brexit! We'll probably need visas for most places and won't automatically be able to work in other EU countries.
No need to focus on negatives about Brexit I've yet to see a positive so.....The £350m a week? That was one positive wasn't it?..... Can't think of any others....

• My friends in Ireland (Dublin) had absolutely shocking experience...
  so dont let your political intollerant views affect your baby's health.* My friends in London have had absolutely shocking experiences giving birth too.... Ireland is not a developing country.
  
  P.S for all those people who are irate that the 'remoaners' didn't just overnight accept that they were wrong because 52% people did not agree with them.... I just don't get that argument. Do Tory supporters just accept they were wrong when the Conservatives lose an election and join the Labour party (or vice versa)? Your beliefs don't change just because not everyone agrees with you.

[Tuppencew0rth]

Lots of misconception about the health service in Ireland -

1. of COURSE there is a public health service in Ireland. But the system also has a private health system (same as UK).
   
   
2. Speaking from my experience only and comparing having a baby in Dublin and having one in Cambridge, the Irish system was better - more caring, consistent, and the choices were different. I had semi-private maternity care in Ireland and public care NHS style in the UK. When I had a medical issue I was referred quickly to a Consultant in the UK, but all other care was a box-ticking exercise and I didn't trust the expertise of the community midwives. Every birth is different my two included so even to compare them is not a true comparison, but the care I received as a mother POST birth was better in Dublin.
   
   Ireland is not existing in the dark ages!
   
   And isn't the OP being tongue in cheek about moving?!

[IsaSchmisa]

Some good reasons why it might not be daft to refrain from naturalising when a person lives abroad:

1. Their country of origin doesn't allow dual nationality.

1. They were in a field where they were likely to move around a lot, so a few years here then a few years there when the next research contract came up. So they might never be in anywhere long enough to qualify (eg in the UK it would generally be 6 years) and/or there may not be much point if they were likely to move to another country like 18 months after they met the residence requirement.

[TheElementsSong]

don't be an idiot. my god. you can still go abroad! t*t.

Wow. Just wow.

[specialsubject]

Some time back my family came from abroad. They got citizenship, because it was daft not to do that if you lived somewhere. Took a lot of doing.

I know people who have gone abroad, decided to stay and got citizenship. Why would anyone not do that? As someone said, forward planning.

[IsaSchmisa]

Smilingontheinside your post seems to be based on the assumption that things after Brexit will be as they were before we joined the EEA. Why, when the world is so very different?

Some of you seem not to understand that there's a middle ground between full on ostracism and less ability to work and study in Europe than we have now. It doesn't have to be a total ban from leaving these shores before becoming something that it's sensible to try and evade.

Sure, if OPs child grows up to be a top quality professional in a shortage specialism, he or she is not likely to have problems getting a visa anywhere. That's a given. You are not saying anything incisive or previously unconsidered by pointing that out.

However, it's also true that without free movement, there's no reason to think British citizens will be able to migrate so easily to provide unskilled labour- do any of you know much about the rules other EU countries have for non-EU unskilled labour? Or to be able to study elsewhere in the EU so cheaply- do you know what non-EU students are usually charged?

With this in mind, especially as she has contacts in NI already, bet hedging is a perfectly logical thing to do. OP has no way of guaranteeing that her child will closely fit the requirements of some as yet unspecified visa requirements, after all. My kids are dual nationals and I'm bloody glad of it.

[Jakeyboy1]

I think you have bigger issues in your own life than Brexit, maybe worry about them first. I mean this in the nicest possible way not sarcastic - if you getting away from an abusive relationship do that of utmost importance, nationality doesn't matter, we're not on the banned list for travel yet!

[SuperSue77]

Borrowed from Facebook, by a guy who was around before the EU:

I'm knocking on a bit, nearly retired. When I voted in June 1975 to remain as part of EC (EU). I saw a bright future in Europe. I saw unity, friendship, peace, the chance to travel, and the end of Borders. Many twinning associations were set at that time. As young man these were the halcyon days of my life. UKIP did not exist. What is happening today is a disaster on many fronts.
So, if the full horror of leaving the EU actually happens, I will spend the rest of life supporting the cause of re-entry. Unfortunately, I suspect that it will many years before this country sees the light, and Brexshit is overturned. But I shall never give up on my youthful dream.

[nursy1]

I’m getting European citizenship via my father. Part of that is to give opportunity to my adult children who will also be able to claim this citizenship via me.

As for those saying “ back in the dark ages we travelled to Europe and worked there”

I remember those days. You could only take a certain amount of money per adult out of the country. This made holiday budgeting hard. My father came here in 1957. He had to get visas, character references and sponsors. He is still not a British citizen as the EU made his pursuit of that unnecessary. He employed tens of people over his working life. Generated large amounts of money and the subsequent tax. Now. He feels worried that. in his 80s, he may have to leave for a country he hasn’t lived in since he was 18.

[smilingontheinside]

What do you think those of us born before we "joined up" did for holidays/work? I've been going abroad, have property abroad and have friends who work abroad and we were doing before the "common market" & will continue to do so when we exit. There is nother going to be some forcefield around us stopping us travelling out of the country!! We will still be part of Europe as we were. Why are people so hysterical about Brexit it's happening we just have to accept it and carry on as normal