Anyone putting any plans in place in case we leave?

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I've just checked the EU referendum current polls and it's looking very close at the moment.

I wondered if anyone is putting plans on hold, or will change any plans they have if we leave?

Personally, I am wracking my brains to think of anything which will directly affect me. Although I wonder if there will economical turmoil and whether to plan for an interest rate rise (our very high mortgage). Which will in turn affect Dhs business.

If we remain, I'd imagine it's just business as usual.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Ease of travel is secondary. Flexibility to work in Ireland and bring my children is the biggest draw. Hopefully that would also be enough to allow DH to get a work visa in Ireland and eventually apply for citizenship. We work work in financial services and there is a very high chance of our jobs being seriously affected.

Ireland will remain in the EU. The border is an interesting one. There is no Calais style arrangement whereby passports are checked on the Irish side (in fact passports are no checked at all)
So any camps would be on the UK side if refugees/migrants wanted to use Ireland as a route into the UK. I wouldn't want to go back to the bad old days of checkpoints on every major route and minor roads closed, killing off cross community relationships which have been painstakingly built.

I would imagine Free that Ireland wouldn't be a target for refugees. They would first have to make it to an island a long way from Europe mainland, then if they make It across the border in a hypothetical eu/non eu border situation they've then got to get across to another island where immigration controls are tough.

Could boatloads of refugees just rock up undetected at our coastline does anyone know?

The Irish sea is rough. A little rubber boat wouldn't cope travelling from mainland Europe towards Ireland. They don't risk a rubber boat in the English channel. I only know of one case which ended in near drowning.

Ah interesting Vertigo. I'm not a sailor, my sea experiences are from about 10m in from the beach. I had wondered why refugees don't attempt it as there must be miles of unpopulated coast line particularly Wales and Scotland I would have thought.

ThroughThickAndThin01 Yes you are right - it's no longer a plan, it's very nearly completed. Brexit would not affect my right to remain or work, but of course could still affect everyone.
My industry will be affected, but there is nothing I can do to mitigate that. Trying to put more savings aside in case our jobs evaporate due to economic uncertainty. Half my office colleagues are EU citizens in a similar situation as me but I'm the only one who's panicked so far. But I get to vote now. That was my plan - one additional vote for IN so Brexit will not happen.

This vote will have a huge impact on me.

My other half is from another EU country and although we have been together for a long time, we don't live together yet. He is tied into a long fixed term contract which finishes next year and I'm currently doing a masters degree (in European law!) which will make it easier for me to work in his country, so we're both making plans but neither of us can move until next year.

I have a secure, stable, well-paid job which I enjoy. I've been there long enough to have accrued employment rights, a pension entitlement and the right to enhanced maternity pay. I've just about saved up enough money to put down a deposit on my first home. So in many ways it would be best for him to move to the UK next year and look for a job here.

But if we vote to leave the EU, the possible effect on the economy and potential changes to free movement could make it very difficult or undesirable for him, as an EU national, to move here and look for a job. So if we vote for Brexit, I am likely to put my house-buying plans on hold, give up my job and move there instead.

So as you can see, it affects us hugely. If we vote to leave, he and I might even do a quick and dirty registry office wedding. That's not what we want, and I am a bit nervous about doing it given that we haven't lived together yet, but it might be necessary.

Hoping that we are able to leave the UK (Scotland) and hopefully remain in the EU. Work-wise, we're well aware of the awful effects a Brexit would have (financial services) but not much you can do, unfortunately. Saying that, I don't think it is at all likely.

I would be sorry to see Scotland leave the UK, but if it happened following a Brexit vote I can't really say I would be surprised!

Another one hosting a party here I was very pro Europe when younger but think it's been an absolute disaster any economic upset, which i am not convinced will be serious or lasting, will be far outweighed by the economic benefits of being able to make choices about UK trade and investments and spending that are in the UK's best interests. The immigration/migrant issue is secondary for me to the colossal cost and waste of EU membership.

It seriously worries me that anyone could think there is a good economic case for leaving. Even Nigel Farage has admitted that economically we would probably be worse off, but he thinks it would be a price worth paying to have control over our borders and full sovereignty over our own laws. If those things are more important to you then I think it's fine to vote leave if you're prepared to accept the economic risks, but voting leave because you think it will be good for the economy is just barking mad. Sorry.

I think it would be economically difficult to start with, no one is saying it wouldn't be. But nobody can say what will happen longterm; as the 5th best economy I do t see why we wouldn't be able to stand mkre successfully on our own two feet unincumbered by the much much poorer EU countries already in the EU, and with four more queuing up to come in. I would be prepared to take the initial economic risk for the greater good.

We are the 5th biggest economy while we are part of the EU, but I can't see how we would still be if we left. Investors don't like risk. A lot of companies have their EU headquarters in London because it's the English speaking capital of the EU. They would have to move the EU part of their business somewhere else. Others won't be prepared to wait and see what happens in the long term. I think a lot of companies are quietly waiting to see which way the vote goes, but if it's Brexit, I think we can expect to see a lot of companies relocating. Many have had exit strategies in place which they will rapidly implement if we vote to leave. I can see a lot of financial services going to Frankfurt and Dublin will probably do very well out of the tech sector. It won't be like children being evacuated during the war - they're not going to come back in a few years' time when everything has settled down. This is big business, and it will hit our economy hard.

If I'm honest, I don't know how to argue your viewpoint, because I don't think anyone knows or has conclusive evidence for anything muffin.

I am personally very gloomy about the worldwide economy anyway, and I'm expecting a huge financial crash regardless of remaining or existing. There is nothing that will stop that happening.

I actially don't think you need to worry, I think we'll remain anyway. Most people I know aren't 100% - even 80% - either way. Most are about 40/60 or 45/55, that kind of thing, quite torn. think people won't be brave enough to vote leave when it comes down to it.

I hope you are right - but more than that, I hope it is a convincing vote to remain. If it's a narrow victory for remain then this issue will not go away. People and businesses need to be able to make plans for the future. As I said in my first post, I feel like my whole life is on hold right now due to this referendum, although I appreciate that I'm probably quite an extreme example!

Also considering Irish passport for self, dh and dd if we leave (all eligible). Hate to lose my EU passport rights. Project Boris career/Project Fantasy Island is not for me.

Is anybody else considering getting married to preserve their free movement rights? Would you, in my position?

If you are a British citizen, I wouldn't get married just to preserve my EU advantages. I don't trust that Brexit will mean a lovely hassle free future but I imagine we would muddle along somehow with travel/visas etc.

It's more the fact that I'm British and my other half is from another EU country, and next year the plan is either for him to move here or me to move there (and which way it goes will largely depend on the referendum result).

I should add that we plan to get married within the next 18 months to two years anyway, so it would just mean bringing the legal bit forwards. We just never anticipated that our right to live in each other's countries could be compromised in this way.

I doubt your partner would be chucked out. I'm not an immigration specialist btw. If your partner already lives and works here, getting permanent residence status might be the way forward. If partner doesn’t live and work here I would still be surprised if your problem couldn't be resolved post Brexit. I imagine some sort of transition period that would take ages (we'd all need new UK passport ) which will coincide with your period of engagement.

He doesn't. Either he would be moving here or I would be moving there next year. That's the issue. And I will want to apply for dual citizenship of his country asap, and the clock starts ticking from when you get married.

I am expecting to stay here.

There isn't really any doubt that resigning from the EU would damage our international trade and foreign earnings, the only question that we don't know is, how much.

Already investment in UK firms has stalled and markets are drooping, and the pound has lost value.

In the event of an "out" we can expect our savings in ££ to be eroded as the pound continues to devalue, and we can expect our pensions and investments to decline where they are invested in the UK.

I have been looking at moving out of UK funds and into European and International. I suppose some people will be looking to buy Euros or even gold bars.

For those who can afford it, we might be coming up to a good time to buy an expensive London house, as some of the SuperRich will be flitting away, and the number of Financial Services jobs will decline..

I'm an EU national with no ties to my "home" country (long story), engaged to a non-EU citizen with indefinite leave to remain here. If so-called Brexit were to happen, we'd very likely up and leave to elsewhere in Europe because why would England need two highly skilled childless immigrants paying tax on two six-figure salaries anyway?

The only other provision I'm making is ensuring I'm "registered" as an EU national living here, as I presume the government is not going to chuck out existing migrants wholesale on the day after the referendum, but make it harder for new migrants to come in.

The whole situation is depressing.

We might have to be prepared for many elderly relatives who retired in (France, Spain and Portugal) to come back and knock on our door!

I think leaving the EU will have a negative effect on our economy both short and long term. and will be an extra reason why Scotland will want to separate.