"Everyone is desperate to become British before it is too late" says Jonathan Hendry

[topum]

Applying for British citizenship never crossed my mind even though I have been living in London for ages. I am both an EU citizen (Denmark) and a non-EU citizen (Norway).

I hope that even if the UK decided to leave the EU, our neighbours would not annex our garden overnight, spray paint "Scandis go home!" on our house and then nationalise the property altogether to turn it into a memorial of suffering endured by Londoners under the EU's free movement of labour.

Anyway, we are prepared to flee to the closest Ikea for temporary shelter in case violence and pogroms break out in Chelsea after the vote.

BBC is asking Should EU citizens consider becoming British?

Comments

[yvonnewalker.livejournal.com]

I dont think anything will happen suddenly if they decide to leave. Most people are hoping we wont end up leaving so no real plans are being made.

And most UK people dont want to leave/dont care either way so wont vote. not enough people care strongly about leaving to do that to you, although you did describe a funny situation ;)

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

I don't think they will leave.  Mind you there is a castle in the Auvergne France (I think) that although will probably need some work to make it liveable again..You could plant a new garden in the mountains ha! 

Honestly though I don't think Britain is going to leave the EU.  They'll be like Quebec here..always threatening to leave Canada but never acting on the threat.  Most Quebecers love Canada it's only there are a few or there were a few loud mouthed separatest.  I noticed in the last federal election Quebec voted liberal so the separatests were silenced apparently.  

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Oh France has beautiful castles. A friend of mine bought one and lives there with his family. We visit them every now and then. It took them many years to renovate it.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Yes I've seen pictures of some of the castles in France they are magical.  One of these days I'm going to make a trip over there to see them. 

I almost did go a few years ago but airline tickets from here to there are crazy expensive.  Hotels are reasonible though.  Just have to find a cheaper way to get there and back.  Or save up my airmiles. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Europe is awesome in this respect, you get to most places in under three hours and advance booking on budget airlines can mean very cheap tickets. And you do not even have to fly in many cases. Central London to central Brussels is slightly under 2 hours by train, central London to central Paris is slightly over 2 hours.

[diejacobsleiter.livejournal.com]

Nationalism is becoming a tendency. So logically you are right. If the process begins, nobody knows where it can stop. Human nature is capable of surprising us...

I'd hope very much that Brits vote to stay in EU. If they quit, all the Europe could begin crumbling. And there will be a bunch of weak countries under pressure of arrogant US, insane Russia, and radical islam.

[wosny.livejournal.com]

I am fairly uncomfortable about the idea of leaving, as I would then have to apply for French citizenship...my daughter has decided to pre-empt and has already begun the procedure, and my son is blasé because he was born in France so has the right to become French. I don't suppose they will refuse me or Polly, but they can if they want to. (Poll has health issues and receives benefits, so .... )

[topum.livejournal.com]

I am really looking forward to the time when passports, citizenship, movement restrictions and immigration controls will become funny things of the past.

[wosny.livejournal.com]

Absolutely!
I think we should be lumpers, as in HUMANS, rather than splitters as in all these races, nations etc. DNA tells us we are largely all the same.

[bichoose.livejournal.com]

Amongst the working class i live and work with..only two have said they will vote to stay in all the rest have either postal voted or intend to vote out....the main reason..for the last forty years or so they have been taken for a ride and are now completely fed up being told by other countries and politicians on how to vote next Thursday....Quite a few have also said if the vote goes to remain in..then it has been rigged...as before...One thing is certain what a day it will be when the vote count is released...

[topum.livejournal.com]

It will be quite a day indeed. I think the win for the out crowd won't change much for the existing EEA residents. Otherwise we'll sell our house in London and move to Stockholm, Zurich or Copenhagen. But we don't expect it to happen regardless of how the UK votes.