Have you/ your family discussed any potential post-Brexit 'Plan Bs'?

[Quandry]

It's hard to predict what might happen over the next couple of years, so over the last month we've been thiking about the best way to keep our options open, and we've done the following:

• investigated family heritage for European links. DH's Polish background is too far back, but my Scottish grandfather would likely make me eligible for dual Scottish Nationality in the event of Scotland gaining independence.

-researched our potential eligibility to move to/work/retire in Canada, New Zealand, Australia

• investigated buying small properties in Scotland or France

Several of our friends in dual nationality families have been applied for EU passports for their babies/children.

Has anyone else been making any plans?

I'm aware of that, Peregrina. My comment was intended to be ironic, though it obviously failed.

Sorry LordRothermere. I could have mentioned the way we, and France, partitioned the Middle East after the WW1. We are reaping the results of that now. People reading here might not be aware of what a mess we have made in the past.

I must say, I think any attempt to remove the extra rights, over and above EU law, that Irish and UK citizens have in each other's countries would be explosive.

Me: it factors in all my decisions. Here are a few:

1. Ordinarily our next move would be taking on a bigger mortgage to move to a bigger home, not doing that now! Staying in our smaller home in the hope of building up some Brexit savings

1. I'm considering doing some more further education: post grad stuff that would help me get visa points or jobs abroad if needed, I wouldn't bother without Brexit as not really needed for my job.

1. Seriously considering Scotland, even if they stay in GB and don't get to remain in the EU, at least I'ld be living somewhere away from brexit minded neighbours/society

1. DH has his own business, at this point we would ordinarily be looking to invest in another local business premisis to expand, but I don't want to be too tied into the area so we're not doing that, we want to be able to up and leave if it comes to us needing to and not tied into lots of local debt/property

I must say, I think any attempt to remove the extra rights, over and above EU law, that Irish and UK citizens have in each other's countries would be explosive.

aren't a lot of shocking unprecidented things happening here and around the world though?

I'ld hate to see it happen as much as anyone else, however I still think that nobody should be RELYING on it for long term plans and should at least look into what they'ld do if things changed there, i.e. people planning to eventually move to Ireland with an Irish spouse so they can get residency and eventually citizenship: I'ld do it now rather than be 100% sure you will be able to do it later

Applied for nationality in the EU country I'm living in. Luckily it's fairly straightforward and I get to keep both... Seems to have gone through ok - touch wood! Kids already have dual nationality.

Well, true yuckyuck, there don't seem to be any certainties at the moment. I just don't think it would be workable, especially given the existence of NI. One of the many reasons I didn't vote Leave, of course.

I would qualify for an Irish passport but DD wouldn't so I'm not doing anything just yet but once DDs 18 I'll probably apply for one.

NI will be a problem, residents of NI are already entitled to both passports though, so it's not inconcievable that "special arrangements" become confined to NI and not extended to all of England as an extention of that - NI could remain British but become an overseas territory rather than treated like an extention of GB/part of the UK, that would solve the "back door" issue

That's just one possibility, but there are lots of possibilites which could put English people with Irish spouses in the same situation as overseas non eu spouses in Ireland, i.e. screwed if not well off

I would qualify for an Irish passport but DD wouldn't so I'm not doing anything just yet but once DDs 18 I'll probably apply for one

If you're planning any more children, they would be entitled so long as you registered your citizenship before they were born, your DD would still not be entitled to but other children born after your registration would be

Going off at a tangent here, but if NI became an overseas territory, the country would cease to be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

yeah I know, but that doesn't mean it'ld definitely never happen

GB is england, scotland and wales
UK is england, scotland, wales and NI

so, GB rules culd be separate to UK rules IYKWIM, for example GB could allow free movement of non British residents within Great Britain only, instead of as it is, within the UK

So non British NI residents couldn't automatically move to England and vica versa.

There will be some sort of back door prevention model in place if Brexit goes ahead, not sure what though

Yes, I see - as at present NI residents can claim Irish passports, but the rest of us can't, so it would be an extension of this.

Hmm, so should we move to N Ireland now - and then claim our Irish passports in due course? It's one to think about.

I think it might be residency and birth for NI, point is I think that residents are citizens of both by birth and it's up to them which passport they claim, if you want an Irish passport right now your best bet is probably to go straight for the republic, become resident, then naturalise

for now dual citizenship is still allowed.. if that goes it'll be further down the line than any "residency" special arrangements I would hope

Or if you're planning kids you could have babies in NI thus giving them dual nationality even if you've no claim to it through ancstory.

*I don't know if it actually works that way? or if there's other conditions?

My father was born in China but that is one of the few countries in the world where you can't become a citizen unless you can prove your whole ancestry!
As leave voters in Scotland who voted remain in the Scottish indy referendum we would be looking at moving to England if Scotland gains independence.

ROI has a long history of it's people having to immigrate, I personally don't think they'll make it difficult for Irish to return home, even with non Irish spouses.

Having said that, we are seriously considering moving there next year anyway.

ROI has a long history of it's people having to immigrate, I personally don't think they'll make it difficult for Irish to return home, even with non Irish spouses.

Well you're definitely wrong there as it's already not a walk in the park for Irish people with non EU spouses that they want to bring to Ireland

People born in NI aren't Irish citizens by birth, not any more. Since 2005 you've also needed descent. Before that, anyone born anywhere on the island of Ireland, NI or otherwise, was Irish. Whatever their parentage. It's just that most people born in NI do have that descent, as the rates of immigration are quite low. And Irish law doesn't distinguish between sides of the border in that respect.

Something that would have to be sorted out in the event of a united Ireland, I suppose.

Oh I see, sorry!

still it's not impossible to imagine a scenario where "special agreements" could be confined to NI residents not all of UK residents

I think a lot of Irish people with english spouses and english people with irish spouses are being a bit more relaxed than I would be in their shoes and aren't all getting ducks in a row quite as much as I would because of blind faith in "special arrangements" continuing

Oh of course it's not impossible. I just don't see it myself. The special arrangements predate EU law, and we're two very interlinked countries sharing a couple of very small islands. The provisions make things much easier. That's not to say I wouldn't take steps sooner rather than later instead of relying on guesswork, and indeed I think that's the reason there's been a massive surge in Irish passport applications from people in the UK and in particular NI. Even though the passport itself makes no actual difference to your status. People feel more reassured.

The British Home Office has pulled the plug on many a pre-existing "arrangement" in recent years, often with no notice

Indeed they have, I've more reason to be aware of that than most. Just nothing as longstanding and with so widespread an impact as the special provisions for British and Irish citizens living in the other country. Though of course, it would be the Irish equivalent of HO that would be relevant here. In theory there's no reason they couldn't keep the special treatment for British citizens without a reciprocal arrangement. Stupidly generous, unless they do better out of Brits in Ireland than the UK does out of Irish here which I don't know that they do. But an option for the Irish should they wish to take it.

What are the options for people without foreign (EU) ancestry? I guess they are stuck here whatever happens post-Brexit?

OP you make me laugh! We don't know yet how Brexit is going to look. We don't know yet, what the implications (if any) would be for British Passport holders.
I find deserting your own country an act of a coward. The UK is a safe 1st world country- Brexit won't change that!
I think, a lot of your arguments are short sighted and far from thought through. What if, in 15-20 years time the EU is no more, Portugal, Ireland, Spain or Greece are bankrupt (don't forget the bail out money some have received). With it comes a high unemployment rate, no public money - benefits- you or your children will be living literally on the streets. You have a chat with some friends/ relatives and find out, that the England is doing ok. Obviously, you want to get back... problem is, you have been out of work on and off for the last 5 years and Britain has now a points system for migrants... You and your children won't qualify for a British Passport as you gave up your citizen ship volatility. Obviously you apply for jobs but companies in Britain won't give you a chance because of your patchy recent work history.

I personally believe