{"id":14227,"date":"2024-11-15T14:44:07","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T13:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=14227"},"modified":"2024-11-17T18:10:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-17T17:10:29","slug":"brexits-aftermath-in-brussels-british-nationals-redefining-their-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/14227\/brexits-aftermath-in-brussels-british-nationals-redefining-their-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Brexit\u2019s Aftermath in Brussels: British Nationals Redefining Their Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Since Brexit ended freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, British nationals in Brussels have been navigating a host of challenges, from stricter residency requirements to shrinking career opportunities. Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, describes the impact as \u201ca huge shock\u201d for many. \u201cBritish nationals didn\u2019t anticipate the extent of the fallout,\u201d she explains. The loss of EU citizenship has forced some to seek dual nationality or navigate complex legal hurdles to remain in Brussels, all while wrestling with a reduced presence in EU institutions.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>For Jessica Fitch, a British national born in Brussels to parents working in EU institutions, these changes have felt deeply personal. Raised with a strong sense of both British and European identity, Jessica always felt more British than Belgian. After completing her studies in England, she returned to Brussels, where her early career thrived under the now-lost freedom of movement. Beginning as an intern at the European Council of Young Farmers, she moved into agricultural consultancy, building a professional life in the city she calls home. \u201cBrussels became my home,\u201d she reflects, a sentiment that drove her decision to stay even as Brexit reshaped her future. The referendum in 2016 was a crucial moment. \u201cThe Monday after the vote, we applied for Belgian nationality. We never thought we\u2019d need it, but suddenly our EU citizenship felt at risk,\u201d Jessica recalls. For her, Brexit wasn\u2019t just a political shift\u2014it was a deep personal transformation.<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><div class=\"humamaudio\" style=\"position:relative;overflow:hidden;width:600px;height:40px;margin:20px 0px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/stream.hu.nl\/players\/GeBbJsQt-gUDjC9bv.html\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">The impact of Brexit on British nationals living in Brussels has gone beyond emotional adjustments; it\u2019s reshaped their professional and residential landscapes. According to a report by the Expat Welcome Desk in Brussels, the number of British nationals moving to the city has dropped by over 70 percent since Brexit, with many existing residents now seeking dual nationality to secure their rights. \u201cMost of my friends who stayed either secured a second nationality or went through extensive paperwork to remain legally recognized in Belgium,\u201d Jessica notes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Catherine Barnard, a leading EU law expert from the University of Cambridge, sheds light on the broader challenges Brexit has created for the British community in Brussels. \u201cBrexit was a huge shock for UK nationals here,\u201d Barnard explains. \u201cMany didn\u2019t anticipate its impact and have since turned to acquiring dual nationality or relying on family ties to secure their residency status.\u201d Yet, even with these efforts, Barnard notes that British professionals often face a lasting perception tied to their nationality. \u201cTheir influence in EU institutions has decreased,\u201d she adds. \u201cParadoxically, the UK now needs more people lobbying in Brussels, but the government hasn\u2019t fully realized how much effort this requires.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Jessica, the shift has also affected her professional life. Previously, British nationals enjoyed a certain advantage in roles within EU institutions and international organizations. Now, many of those positions are closed to non-EU citizens. \u201cEnglish is still the working language here,\u201d Jessica says, \u201cbut there\u2019s no longer an automatic advantage for British citizens.\u201d In her work as an agricultural consultant specializing in sustainable fertilization, Brexit has required her to adjust to Belgium\u2019s post-Brexit regulatory framework. \u201cI was working on EU projects for years, lobbying for regulatory support for circular fertilizers. Now, I had to realign my career to fit Belgium\u2019s framework post-Brexit,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<div>\n[aesop_gallery  id=&#8221;14074&#8243; revealfx=&#8221;off&#8221; overlay_revealfx=&#8221;off&#8221;]\n<div>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Catherine Barnard also highlights significant inconsistencies in how EU member states handle residency rights for British nationals, exposing gaps in post-Brexit policy implementation. \u201cThe UK set up the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) to oversee compliance with the withdrawal agreement,\u201d Barnard explains. \u201cBut there\u2019s no equivalent body within the EU27, leaving the European Commission to manage oversight\u2014and they\u2019re not doing the job terribly well.\u201d She notes that monitoring residency policies across 27 countries is a formidable challenge, compounded by the relatively small number of British residents in the EU. \u201cFor example, Spain is required to grant 10-year residence permits to UK citizens but often only issues five-year permits, which then have to be renewed,\u201d Barnard points out. These inconcistencies ignite frustration\u00a0among British nationals, who feel their rights are inconsistently enforced across member states, creating yet another hurdle in their post-Brexit lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For Jessica and many in the British community, Brexit has also stirred deeper questions about identity and belonging. \u201cFor me, Brexit felt like a rejection\u2014like we couldn\u2019t be both European and British anymore,\u201d she confides. Despite her commitment to her life in Brussels, she holds out hope that the UK might one day restore its ties with the EU. \u201cIf Britain rejoined, I\u2019d want to be part of that movement,\u201d she adds with conviction. Since Brexit, over 25,000 UK citizens have acquired Belgian nationality, a step many saw as essential to securing their future within the EU. Jessica explains, \u201cFor a lot of us, getting Belgian nationality wasn\u2019t something we\u2019d ever planned, but it became necessary almost overnight. It was the only way to protect our rights and stay connected to Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For those considering a move to Brussels, Jessica has simple advice: \u201cDo your research and be prepared. Brussels is welcoming, but it\u2019s a different landscape now.\u201d While the journey for British citizens in Brussels has become more challenging, she believes it remains a city full of career potential and an English-speaking community that continues to thrive despite the political shifts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since Brexit ended freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, British nationals in Brussels have been navigating a host of challenges, from stricter residency requirements to shrinking career opportunities. Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, describes the impact as \u201ca huge shock\u201d for many. \u201cBritish nationals didn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":764,"featured_media":14069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cbj","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Brexit\u2019s Aftermath in Brussels: British Nationals Redefining Their Future - International Journalism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brexit\u2019s Aftermath in Brussels: British Nationals Redefining Their Future - International Journalism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since Brexit ended freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, British nationals in Brussels have been navigating a host of challenges, from stricter residency requirements to shrinking career opportunities. 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