United Nationalities of Marbella Summit: Miss Information

I was so looking forward to writing about my United Nationalities of Marbella Summit #UNMS2022 in this week’s column. It was so rewarding to welcome over 100 people of 17 different nationalities from local businesses, associations, schools, charities and members of the general public, all genuinely interested in creating community.

This has been the 7th annual event and although the issues being addressed remain the same, we are clearly making headway.

However, before I can talk about the success of the event I feel I must apologise to you all for myself having become a source of possible misinformation. I personally have been very affected in business by Brexit and have been surprised as to the ramifications, far exceeding what it used to be like before the UK joined the EU.

The difficulties arising are such that one can but surmise that the Brits are perhaps being punished for “our” decision? I didn’t see the advantage of Brexit, particularly as I live in Spain. Curiously for me many other people in the same circumstances did actually vote to leave. Regardless, none of us anticipated how the consequences would trickle into every aspect of our day to day and turn many lives upside down.

Every day I’m hearing of more developments. In this instance it’s thanks to feedback from Rod Manuell of Southwell in Nottingham, who read my recent column on the benefits of signing on the “Padron”. Due to spellcheck the title came out wrong as “I beg your pardon”, which I thought a shame as I was trying to be funny. How ironic indeed; as it turns out the column has the right title.

Although it is the responsibility for residents to be on the Padron, obtaining many benefits, it turns out Rod is right to be concerned as the police in some areas are increasingly linking “empadronamiento” with residence. This therefore is a genuine worry for holiday home owners and others only spending part of the year in Spain. From what I’ve been told by the relevant authorities since following up from Rod’s email, some people are being very heavily fined and even having their cars impounded.

I haven’t heard of any of this happening in Marbella but I certainly don’t want to steer anyone in the wrong direction. I’m grateful to Rod for bringing this up so I can set the record “straighter”. It would seem that at the moment the advice for this category of people specifically would be not to sign on, until the authorities agree with how they are to proceed.

Correct communication was actually the topic of #UNMS2022 and when Anne Hernandez MBE of Brexpats Spain spoke at the event she warned that the effects from Brexit are far from over.

In conclusion, as predicated at my event, please only rely on the recognised, official sources for your information and accept my apologies for being “Miss Leading”; in future I will be certainly cross-checking my sources

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