If you made your life here, why didn't you become a British citizen?

[DorothyL]

How do you respond to that as an EU citizen?

I came to the UK in 98. I never applied for British citizenship because I didn't see the need - I truly felt that the fact we were all EU meant it didn't matter!

Now I'm scared because in spite of being here so long I would probably not qualify for a permanent residency card because I wasn't working (SAHM/carer).

Wish I knew what will happen

Oh Misti That is the system but very easy for a LEA to suppress demand and slip out from their obligations by leaving parents languishing on waiting lists to the point where their anxiety that there will not be a place forces them to look elsewhere, or if you have schools that are failing offer places there to everyone not able to get a place in their local school regardless of whether they are accessible. Our LEA has followed that strategy for decades, and tried to continue to do in spite of the fact they have reached the limit of deterrence, bulge classes in Porto cabins etc. Were it not for our parent led free school they would be putting children into satellite classes in church halls as they had to do for all the Reception children still without a place after Christmas.I would really advise some proactive strategic planning, do not think all the other parents have not been working on it for years (to the point of making sure they were baptised by six months in the case of the requirement for some faith schools )

But again what, that is not down to immigration.

Poor planning, funding cuts etc are the culprits. I'd imagine funding cuts are the biggest part of all of this. There was a significant cull of school places during the 2000s when demand fell, but this was projected to be needed again by 2014, in 2009/2010 when looking at the birth rate. The increased provision need was not noted by central government who cut funding in real terms and focused much of the spending towards free schools and academies.

I am in a similar position OP.

Having read this thread I would say some of the comments are good enough reason not to want citizenship. I moved here almost 20 years ago and have a British DH and DCs. I made my decision to live here based on the reciprocal agreements within the EU and I never had any reason to believe this would change until very recently, by which time my life was well established here. I don't have a few thousand spare at the moment to fund the application process so if Mrs May wants to kick me out then frankly at this point I'm thinking - go ahead.

Meanwhile my PIL who are staunch leave voters are rushing about trying to dig out information on their Irish granny in order to apply for Irish passports. The hypocrisy of this makes my blood boil

whatwouldrondo don't worry - am not in the UK or would not be so relaxed. Here the catchment school will be obliged to find a place even for the child of an immigrant ;)

The point is that availability of school places is about planning, not population.

OP - there are xenophobic idiots in all countries. Unfortunately Brexit seems to have emboldened some small minded people to be very vocal, but I still do not think that they are the majority.

It would be very sad if you, or other EU citizens living here, were to leave the UK because of them. Our country would be much poorer, culturally and economically, for it.

With regard to your question, I wonder why you would previously have become a British citizen when, as an EU citizen, your rights (and responsibilities) were the same Who jumps through administrative hoops for the sake of it!

Obviously the number of school places that is provided is the responsibility of the local authority. They must provide for every child in their area.
But if it were not for high immigration the number of children requiring a place would be much smaller and the planners would need to plan for fewer places.
At present the birthrate here is higher amongst mothers born outside the UK. This will result in more school places being needed in a few years time.

Trying there has been a failure to provide schoolplaces in places where immigration is not a factor at all. Some of the largest rises in pupil numbers are in affluent outer London suburbs which is precisely why Gove was so keen to highlight the need, the failures of LEAs (though by no means all) and how his Free School programme would come to the rescue of middle class parents. However it didn't for all the reasons I have outlined, lack of strategy and planning, the bureaucratic hurdles, funding, lack of sites. London's population has been rising forever but especially since Thatcher focused the economy on financial services. For sure you will not find many in these affluent suburbs who were born there, but mostly because they were born elsewhere in the U.K.

The birthrate is 0.3 difference between mothers from the UK and non UK, making your assertion untrue.

LEAs would have been able to provide places had their not been austerity.

But if it were not for high immigration the number of children requiring a place would be much smaller and the planners would need to plan for fewer places

And the tax take would be lower, given that EU immigrants pay proportionately more tax and as a group are net contributors. So there would be less to spend on schools without EU immigrants subsidising everyone else.

Much of the migration in the UK in the last couple of decades has been internal. It's up to local planners to ensure that services are available to meet local needs. People move where there are jobs.

Haven't RTFT so apologies if the thread has moved on or I'm repeating what has been said a million times...

I moved to the UK nine years ago, straight after uni to live with British (now) DH. Pretty much every penny of tax I've ever paid has been here. I love it here, it's home and I have no desire to leave.

However - I am not British. I don't see myself as British and have no desire to do so. I am happy for my children to do so but I am Irish and will always be so - Wendy, how long would you have to live in France in order to see yourself as French and want French citizenship?

I'm Irish so for now I'm banking on being ok, or at least having enough notice to be able to apply for citizenship in order to remain. I'm fortunate in that if I needed to apply I could afford it.

One interesting side note for me - when I say I moved to the UK, I mean NI. My DH is from NI and thus a British citizen, but very much sees himself as Irish as do many of my friends (and I think all of my in laws). Most people here (including DH at first) forget that dual nationality doesn't work both ways. I'm an Irish citizen who moved two hours up the road to a place where the "natives" are allowed see themselves as Irish if they so choose. And there's a (presumably very small) chance I'll get kicked out. Go figure.

DorothyL- To answer your question, there is/ was no need for EU Citizens to become "British", as the EU offers freedom of movement to all its citizens. If you live/ work in any EU country, you have the same rights as the citizens of your host country.
For me, even now, it would be pointless to change nationality. I am from a "safe country", without political, or economic restrictions. Like you, I have been here many years, I work and raise my children here in the UK. But I don't feel the need to become British. I am proud of who I am.
I don't mind, if Teresa decides to "send me home". It is the British, who will be missing out in so many ways. And I know, that my British husband and children with dual citizenship will be very welcome in their new country! (Example, I work for a small company, if I was to go, it would be difficult to replace me due to my skill level and potentially 14 British citizens will be losing their jobs! ... )
Of course, Britain can shut its borders and rid of all foreigners, but if nobody can get in, equally, nobody will be able to get out!

Apologies for not having read the full thread. For many people their nationality is part of their identity and EU citizens never had any reason to expect this would ever be an issue.
My mum (French) has lived for over 50 years. She married my British dad, worked full-time, paid tax, raised children here. She's now retired and widowed and it appears that she has no automatic right of residence here because she doesn't have comprehensive private health insurance - and for a 78 year old this would be prohibitively expensive.
I'm hoping someone can reassure me that her previous work history will establish her right of residence without needing to have insurance now. Does anyone know the answer?

Levie We have had quite a long discussion about this exact issue on the Westminsterenders thread and it has also been getting quite a bit of coverage in the national press, and Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP has also raised it. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/30/scrap-insurance-rule-stay-at-home-parents-eu-tory-mp-sarah-wollaston?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other I am afraid nobody can give you a definite answer because the government is currently trying to deal with in excess of 100000 applications from EU citizens according to the cumbersome processes for non EU applicants without resorting to common sense or humanity. It seems unlikely they can sustain that attitude though?

Thanks Ron
It's such a mess. I only discovered the insurance issue in the last couple of days. You would think that someone who's worked and paid tax over many years before retirement would have accrued some rights, but we will have to see. It's deeply worrying.

Sorry Ron- what's the Westminsterenders thread? I've seen the Guardian discussion already.

Wow. Some of the horrible responses on here. Why would you bother to renounce your old citizenship when you didn't have to, when you could justifiably enjoy freedom of movement as was your right and enjoy being a citizen of the world (because, to disagree with Theresa May, I'd say that's a good thing)? Why go through an unnecessary bureaucratic process?

This makes me so mad. My DSis's girlfriend of 5 years is Irish and on minimum wage. Finding £1K plus and still paying rent, buying food etc would be really tough for her. Me and DH have said we'll give it/lend it to her if it turns out she needs it but understandably that'd feel humiliating for her. Absolute shit that this situation is even a possibility. Britain is going to lose a lot of good people this way. I work at a big RG university, in the language school, and can see academia being hit hard. People will leave not only for financial reasons but because they rightfully think they shouldn't have to go through some ridiculous process to stay in a country they've lived, worked, taught, contributed to the international research profile of for years.

Levie www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2809076-Westministenders-The-Stage-is-set-for-a-New-Act-Boris-and-friends-hit-2017 The discussion is over a few pages, and probably a few pages back, it moves quickly! There was a poster with the same issue as your Mother.

Why indeed agent? Maybe because it gives you security?

If I were unmarried, I could move into a mans house, pay bills, make repairs and so on.....it's never going to be as secure as being married to him. He only need change his mind and I'm screwed.
No difference to those who wouldn't commit to this country.

As a British Citizen I am ashamed of some of the meanness displayed on this thread.

I hope all of the EU citizens who have been here long term can get to stay either through some sort of permanent residence or British citizenship.

Iam The point is that a partner who has contributed to and helped make a home will leave a man who is acting like a spoilt arse...... and he will be worse off for it

All the next generation of my family over 25 have now left the country, as a result of the effects of recent governments on the NHS and their quality of life, and I now expect my children to follow, and probably my husband and I too, and we are all British. It does not surprise me at all to have already seen talented EU academics and professionals who have made tremendous contributions to our national life leave the U.K. In the wake of the Brexit vote

Not really the point at all, what, the point was, that any relative can be marvellous and pay taxes through their eyeballs, but without the official status (be it wife, or citizen) then you can't complain when your decision to be single or 'feel european' backfires.

Thanks Ron- I've just been reading the thread. Fortunately my Mum reads the Telegraph and not Guardian so is not aware of this problem!
I'm hoping that this just has to be resolved properly. Surely there are more UK pensioners in Spain/France etc without private healthcare than there are EU retired people in UK?

And, to repeat my first comment on the thread, there is no state of Europe, any country can decide to leave at any time. Feeling European is very nice, but it's not going to butter many parsnips.