The Maltese government has been giving unequivocal reassurances about the future of the 13,000 Britons living in Malta post-Brexit – but they clearly have many unanswered questions.
Almost 200 British expatriates turned up for a conference organised by Frank Salt Real Estate about Malta in a post-Brexit Europe.
The wide range of questions showed how much uncertainty there still is about basic things, from whether someone would need to change their UK passport or whether they could use it till it expired (answer: the latter), to whether a property-owner would need to apply for an AIP permit to cover their home, just as a third-country national would (answer: no, once it has been purchased, things will stay as they are).
Not everyone in the audience was happy about Brexit’s implications. One man lamented that his European Health Insurance Card would no longer be valid after Brexit, while another welcomed the fact that his Turkish wife would be covered by the special ‘settled status’ being given to expats already here – whether workers, students or residents – but noted if he were not already married, then the situation for her would be that of a third country national seeking residence.
The conference at one point lapsed into a tax advisory session, with people asking the panel members for technical advice about fiscal benefits of various residence schemes and whether it would be beneficial for them to consider a different status.
The conference, at the Corinthia Palace in Attard, was addressed by the British High Commissioner Stuart Gill, who said that the new prime minister, scheduled to take over from Theresa May in a few weeks, would “likely want to renegotiate and would look for flexibility from the other EU leaders, rather than face a disorderly exit”.
However, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat – while stressing Malta’s support for the UK – quickly poured cold water on this ambition, saying that after 19 months of negotiations, the November 2018 deal “was and would remain the only agreement on the table”.
“We are half way through the extension [until October 31] and there is no justification for optimism,” he lamented, pointing out that once a new prime minister was appointed, there would only be 30 working days in which to agree on the way forward.
The situation in the UK is still very fluid. On Tuesday, the latest twist came from the Labour Party, which said it would support Britain staying in the EU if there was a second referendum on the deal negotiated by the Conservative government.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn did not go as far as outlining what his party’s position would be in the event of a general election.
The procedure to replace Ms May has already started, and the Conservative Party's 160,000 members have until July 21 to vote. The winner should be announced on July 23.