Britons who live in other European countries are paying close attention to the ongoing Brexit negotiations and the effect those talks will have on their lives. Many are already taking action to insure their rights to stay where they are. For instance, Germany has seen a huge surge in UK citizens applying for German passports.
Ira Spitzer reports from Berlin.
IN: "UK national Johnny…"
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:20
GENERIC: h ttp://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0629britsberlinpkg-is-generic.mp3
VO#1 UK national Jonny Whitlam has lived in Berlin for most of his adult life. As an EU citizen, he's allowed to live and work in any of the bloc's twenty eight countries. But since his native country voted to leave the EU last year, the 28 year-old tour guide has had major worries about the future.
SOT, Jonny Whitlam, Co-founder, British in Berlin
"You do tend to think of the worst. So, what happens… we lose our right to live, we lose our right to work, we have to move away, you lose those connections with friends. You lose your entire life."
VO#2 To protect himself, he's started the process of trying to become a German citizen, which involves proving his language ability and civic knowledge. He's not alone. Almost 3,000 UK nationals were granted German citizenship last year, an increase of over three hundred percent. READ LAST SENTANCE
PTC, Ira Spitzer, Berlin
"It's very difficult for people who become German citizens to hold on to their old passports, except in special cases, like when someone is a citizen of another EU country. But with the UK scheduled to leave the EU by early March of twenty nineteen, time may be running out for Brits hoping for dual citizenship." READ THIS STANDUP
VO#3 But many of the estimated hundred thousand UK nationals in the country haven't been here for close to the eight years required for citizenship anyway. Tia Robinson is the owner of Expath, on organiztion which helps foreigners with their paperwork said they've received a flood of calls from Brits recently who are anxiously watching the Brexit negotiations. READ LAST SENTANCE
SOT, Tia Robinson, Owner, Expath Berlin
"So if Britain really cracks down on making all of the europeans who live there register, get a work permit, go through a lot of the hoops, prove that they have education and a job, etc. then of course it's likely that Europe is going to be much stricter to the British people living here."
VO#4 Of course, much of this is still to be worked out. The UK could negotiate a special deal fr its citizens, like what the EU has with Switzerland or Norway. But for now, many are still angry about how the Brexit vote unfolded.
SOT, Jonny Whitlam, Co-founder, British in Berlin
"David Cameron wanted to win back votes from UKIP so I could lose my job and my home. It's mad… and yeah, it's sad."
VO#5 And they're worried about whether they can ever truly feel at home here. Ira Spitzer, Berlin.
//ENDS