Unintended Consequences

[ZigZagJigsaw]

A colleague who voted for Brexit has just been informed she has no right to emigrate to the Netherlands with her family. The reason she wants to move there is because she says NL have a better healthcare system than the U.K. Her youngest child (teenager) is highly dependent on the NHS and apparently that would disqualify them, unless they agreed to not use the public health care system.

The above would apply even if the NL classed my colleague and her husband as highly skilled, which they don’t. British nationals are now classed as third country nationals so they have to relocate as highly skilled immigrants. No more free movement after Brexit.

She’s trying to be exactly the same kind of economic migrant to the NL that she voted to keep out of the U.K. And for some reason doesn’t seem to see the link.

I’m just nodding politely at work but I had to come and vent somewhere.

AIBU to think “you brought this on yourself”?

I would be tempted to say “it’s a shame we’re no longer included in freedom movement”.

You’re more polite than me. I’d tell her that this is exactly what she voted for .

I know who did the same... voted for Brexit but had wanted to emigrate to France.
They thought they were voting for the NHS and against (I kid you not) bendy bananas.
Bonkers.

Well that's what Boris told them.

An acquaintance who had a house in Spain that he was planning to to retire to voted for Brexit.

I remember 30 years ago when my Uncle died and my Aunt, in her late 60's at the time wanted to move to Australia to live with her son.
She had to have endless medical examinations plus proof that she could afford to keep herself...even had to have a proven test from our GP that she wasn't pregnant.

The child is now 15. He’s been suffering from health issues for a long time but I’m not sure whether (or not) it’s as far back as the Brexit vote. From what I understand, he’ll be able to live independently but will need lifelong treatment.

I generally just smile politely and look busy when anything controversial and not work related comes up.

Denmark and Sweden are the worst to pick. You have to be fluent in Danish and pass all kinds of tests for Denmark and it's very difficult. Sweden they are very nationalist and even after living there 2 years for a permanent job they still haven't let my friend open a bank account.

I don't know if you can just opt into/pay into healthcare in Canada to receive it as a foreigner, but I do know they have the best healthcare in the world and you can live there up to 6 months on a tourist visa.

YABU not to politely mention something about Brexit and benefits shopping.

If it was a social situation then I would mention it. It’s just with it being work. Good job I can post on here instead 😀

British people who were already living in Spain also voted for Brexit!

Fuck around find out.
I have no empathy at all for people who voted for this.

I have a feeling I’ll be hearing all about how unfair Denmark and Sweden are too.

if one of my UK acquaintences had said this i would have ROARED with laughter.

It wasn't hugely onerous or expensive for me (but it's a couple of thousand Euros i would rather not have spent) to get citizenship of the EU country i live in for me and my family, but i remember begging people not to vote for Brexit just to give the government a bloody nose (so many uk people told me that one)

I did say that from a UK citizen pov there were a few reasons that you might, under certain circs, think that Brexit was a good idea. I have precisely one friend who has actually benefitted in his industry. The rest? Worse off but i don't care.

So now if anyone complains about Brexit? i just snigger and change the subject.

What does the friend do that Brexit benefits him @Brefugee?

Forestry.

I think the piece people forget, is that it wasn’t a vote that came out of the blue. Elections were won off the back of promises of ‘better terms’ with the EU or the chance to vote to be in/out. Those ‘better terms’ were not secured, and I don’t think the gov at the time or EU thought the UK would go through with the vote. The next election promise came, the people voted and the EU referendum was offered.
I think the biggest mistake they made was acting on the In/out vote rather than using it to have more serious conversations with the EU. But that in itself is also problematic. Agree most people didn’t understand what they were voting for (on both sides). And how could they?
Anyway, laughing at the OP’s colleague who cannot see the irony of their predicament. What is it people say? It’s migrants when they’re in our country. But we’re expats when we move abroad for a ‘better life’. 🫠

I'm curious, how do you all know who voted for Brexit? (Im not British.) Did people speak very openly about it at the time? I find that quite strange.

I found that people who wanted to leave did. No so much those of us who wanted to stay in.

This.

She needs to know. They all need to know so they don't do it again.

(they will do it again, next GE)

I agree with most of this, but this consequence wasn't hard to see. Removal of freedom of movement is the most obvious consequence of not being part of the EU anymore.

I am flabbergasted that your colleague thinks she should be entitled to move to a European country largely because of their better healthcare system, yet she doesn't think Europeans should be welcome in the UK.

My relative and her husband were very pro-Brexit and posted about it constantly on social media. "Take back control!" and "Get Brexit Done!" etc. etc. I couldn't understand it because they own a holiday home in an EU country.

Just after the 90 days only rule came in, my relative's husband was posting on Facebook asking friends to sign a petition supporting equal rights for Brits to visit EU countries. It had begun to dawn on them what was happening. I had to sit on my hands so that I didn't post a cheeky reply. He took it down fairly quickly - probably realised how stupid it made him look. They are both university- educated people who had responsible well-paid jobs, but sadly they read the Daily Mail.

the week before the referendum we were in UK visiting friends & family. My mum was voting remain, because she was aware that it may cause issues for us if Brexit happened.

But we went to visit friends of my parents, so around 65 at the time, and they were full of it. "we're voting Brexit to give Cameron a bloody nose". That's what most people said to us, "oh don't worry, it will never happen". I begged them to use their heads and vote for Brexit if they thought it would improve life in the UK. Otherwise vote stay.

Other people we heard talking (pubs and so on) were all "immigration! it's got to stop, so many foreigners here" etc etc. And i didn't engage with those because, well. Why bother?

After the referendum? Unfortunately the friends of my parents were sharing memes and making posts along the lines of "yes, got our country back" and "immigration will stop now". So. Well. Were they being polite to our faces, and really thought that? Or were they just being influenced by others?

Ex-friends now. Tbh.

Do you snigger at people who voted against Brexit too? Do you ask them how they voted before sniggering?

There were loads of people like this. Even at the time, "oh, but we'll be able to apply to live in France/Germany/Netherlands".

I think if Brexit taught us anything it's that there's a lethal combination of stupidity/lack of education and the craziness of propoganda and fake news out there today.