EP027 | Foreign residents, Brexit and local councils: a view from Adeje, Tenerife

Brexit Brits Abroad

In this episode, Michaela speaks with Clio O’Flynn. Based in Adeje, Tenerife, Clio works in communications at the local Mayor’s office, in this role acting as a liaison between the English-speaking community and the local council. She talks to Michaela about the work she does and why she thinks it is important. As she makes clear, her role is caught up in the council's proactive approach to fostering relationships with Adeje’s foreign residents and their efforts to make the local community open and accessible to newcomers to the area. Since the UK’s decision to leave to leave the European Union, she has also found herself talking with local British residents about Brexit, in particular their concerns for their futures. In her reflections, Clio highlights also that Brexit has implications for local councils—particularly in places where British populations are part of local communities—and it is becoming more pressing that they are equipped with accurate knowledge about Brexit and what this means in respect to Britons resident in the EU27 so that they can better communicate to these residents and provide them with up-to-date advice on how to secure their residence post-Brexit.