Cyprus To Protect British Expats’ Rights In Case Of No-deal Brexit

Cyprus has assured its UK expat residents their rights will remain should a no-deal Brexit be the final result.

The former British colony of Cyprus prior to the island’s independence in 1960 has now reassured its British expat community their rights will be protected in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The island has joined a number of other EU member states in giving at least some security to British expatriates living, working or retiring in popular expat regions. The message was sent to the UK government’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt by the Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, and comes as a relief to the large UK expat community on the island.

Christodoulides’s letter noted the move is the best way forward as it gives certainty to both businesses and citizens whilst mitigating the negative effects of a no-deal Brexit. It added Cyprus, along with many other EU member states, was working to form plans for all possible Brexit outcomes, including a no-deal exit, adding that citizens’ rights are a priority both for EU citizens in the UK and British expats in Europe. He believes expats’ rights should encompass everything including access to benefits as they apply at the present time.

The Foreign Minister added Cyprus respects but deeply regrets the UK’s decision to leave the EU, and is advocating a future strong relationship between the two countries, with close cooperation in various fields being part of a new arrangement beneficial to both. For decades, Cyprus has been a popular destination for Britons whether working or retiring, with the minister’s letter hopefully giving a long-overdue sense of stability and certainty within the expatriate community.