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British Invasion: Brexit-Scared Britons Queue for Scandinavian Passports

© Photo : nomadicdanes.comDanish passports
Danish passports - Sputnik International
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The number of British nationals applying for citizenship in EU countries has skyrocketed after the deciding Brexit vote. Remarkably, the Nordic countries are among those which have seen the largest increase in fleeing Brits.

Summer Brit - Sputnik International
Life After Brexit: Annoyed Britons Switch Sides, Become Swedes
Over 1,100 Britons have flocked to Sweden since the beginning of 2016, three times more than in 2015. Sweden thus became the most popular destination for disenchanted Brits whose post-Brexit loyalties remained with the EU rather than with queen and country. In relative numbers, however, Denmark, which welcomed nearly 300 Brits this year, became the undisputed leader, with an increase of more than 900 percent, Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported.

"Across Europe, the number of Britons who seek citizenship in other countries is growing vigorously. This is an indication that the British are really afraid of being completely smoked out of the single market and thus losing the rights they have as migrant workers," EU expert Marlene Wind, a professor and director at the Centre for European Politics at Copenhagen University, told Danish daily Berlingske.

The would-be-Danes are mostly Britons who already live and work in Denmark. With Britain's EU membership revoked, they fear losing the benefits they previously enjoyed as EU citizens together with Danish nationals and are seeking citizenship as an extra insurance.

"No longer being EU citizens, they risk losing, for example, research support, the Erasmus program [student exchange] and the right to operate in other countries. Britons living in other EU countries are also unsure of what is going to happen with the rights they have earned throughout their working life," Marlene Wind said, citing access to hospital care, pensions and child benefits.

Denmark - Sputnik International
If You Can't Remain, Become a Dane: Britons Scramble for Danish Citizenship
The selling point is that Britons applying for citizenship in Denmark may, as of September 2015, acquire dual citizenship. Therefore, they need not relinquish their British citizenship to become Danish. The "extra" citizenship is by many seen as a means of social protection.
Sweden and Denmark are currently home to a British diaspora of 20,000 and 12,000 people, respectively. Although these figures may pale in comparison to the countries' respective populations (61.1 million in the UK, almost 10 million in Sweden and 5.6 million in Denmark), this may be just the beginning, Marlene Wind argued.

"As we can see, this is a trend manifest throughout Europe. If Britain continues its course to break off from the single market, this will become just the beginning of a tidal wave of citizenship applications in other EU countries," Wind said. "If people are fleeing the country at this rate, Westminster should obviously give it a thought," Wind concluded, using the "sinking ship" metaphor.

Business people - Sputnik International
Brexit Exodus: British Banks Could Move Overseas Next Year Without EU Passport
According to a survey in The Guardian, at least 2,800 Britons have applied for citizenship in 18 EU countries in the first eight months of 2016 — yielding a total increase of over 250 percent. Other popular countries include Italy and Ireland.

The BBC estimates that 5.5 million British live outside the UK. After 15 years, British citizens living abroad are no longer eligible to vote. The number of UK voters who voted to leave the EU exceeded those who voted to remain by less than two million.

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