UK Government Allocates £3 Million To Support UK Nationals In The EU
- Charities and organisations that support UK nationals living in the EU have been awarded a share of the funding.
- The £3 million fund will assist UK nationals to apply to protect their residency rights.
- Residents in Spain, France, Germany, Cyprus, Italy, and several other EU countries will benefit.
Charities and organisations will receive government funding to provide practical support for UK nationals living in the EU with their residency applications. This includes potentially at-risk groups such as pensioners and disabled people and to support those who may find it harder to complete all the paperwork. This includes pensioners, disabled people, those living in remote areas, or those who have mobility difficulties and those who require help with language translation or interpretation. One of the beneficiaries of the fund is Age in Spain – a charity that helps older British expatriates. They will be working across Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, while Asociación Babelia will be providing support in Alicante.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said “These organisations are doing vital work to support UK Nationals in the EU and this funding will help secure their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, so that they are given the security and stability they need.”
British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott said “This fund will be a valuable complement to the extensive work that our consulates have been doing over the past three years to prepare UK nationals for our departure from the EU. The chosen organisations will be able to provide one-to-one, specialist support to those citizens that need it most, helping them to register as a resident and secure their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.”
Now that the UK has left the EU, some UK nationals living in certain EU member states will need to take actions to secure their residency rights so that they can continue to live and work in their host country as now.
Over 1 million UK nationals live in EU and EFTA countries; more than 350,000 of them here in Spain. This extra assistance will build on the information and support that British Embassies are already providing.
Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK nationals living in the EU at the end of the transition period can continue to live and work in their host country. Anyone who is legally residing in Spain by 31 December 2020 will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
As part of the ongoing information campaign, the government is encouraging all UK nationals in the EU to visit the Living in … Guide ongov.uk for the country they live in and sign up for tailored alerts to receive the latest information about what actions they may need to take. Further details on how to contact implementing organisations will be available soon; UK nationals in Spain should subscribe to gov.uk/livinginspain for updates.
Merseyside Drug Trafficking Suspect Arrested In Spain
The alleged ringleader of a cocaine trafficking group that expected to bank more than £1 million every month has been arrested after more than six years on the run.
Dominic McInally, 29, from Formby, Merseyside, was arrested when officers from the Spanish National Police raided the Casa Masa strip club, near Marbella, in the early hours of 28th February. McInally was a subject of Operation Captura, which targets fugitives suspected to be hiding out among the UK national community in parts of Spain. Jointly run by the NCA, Crimestoppers UK and Spanish authorities, Operation Captura has now resulted in 85 subjects being apprehended since 2006. Just ten remain at large.
Following his arrest, McInally was taken to Madrid, where extradition proceedings will begin. He has been wanted by Merseyside Police since January 2014, when officers intercepted a car in Crosby and recovered 6 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment. Five members of the group allegedly led by McInally were later sentenced to a total of 48 years’ imprisonment.
British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott said “The arrest of Dominic McInally would not have been possible without the excellent co-operation between the British and Spanish police forces. It is yet another success under Operation Captura, which has resulted in dozens of fugitives being brought to account, many of them after years on the run in Spain.”
Andy Cooke-Welling, Head of the NCA’s International Crime Bureau, said “The arrest of Dominic McInally is the result of years of investigation by the NCA, Merseyside Police and our Spanish partners. It should be clear to those attempting to flee from UK justice that they can never rest easy. The NCA works globally to fight serious and organised crime and to protect the UK public from the violence and exploitation that results from the class A drugs trade.”
Mick Duthie, Crimestoppers charity Director of Operations, said “I commend the work of our partners, the National Crime Agency and the Spanish Police, for this latest arrest and would remind people to visit the Crimestoppers website, view those fugitives still on the run and tell our charity where they are. We promise that you will remain 100% anonymous. We have kept this promise for over 32 years.”
Anyone with information on fugitives in Spain can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the secure online form.