barge1914
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Following on from the post by Frogman on the thread Schengen Limits on the Motorhomer site I thought this was worth giving its own thread as it may be missed on the end of another long thread. I have penned the following to our MP. It is self explanatory. If you want to see the links where a proforma for this can be found head over to Motorhomer, alternatively you can just as easily copy and edit mine to suit your own circumstances. I don't know if it will do any good, but as ever if its left to lone voices nothing ever happens, its pointless just moaning on here. Don't let the b******s think no-one is watching. PS. If you do write, don't forget your constiuancy address and your telephone number otherwise they don't have to read it.
Dear Mr .....
We are writing to you now because, despite a global pandemic, the Government is pressing ahead with negotiations on the future relationship with the EU, with inequitable consequences for the needs of UK citizens who have cause to travel in Europe. Our request is therefore urgent as any change in the negotiating position must be sorted out as a matter of priority before it is too late.
We have owned a Motorhome for 6 years and travel extensively in Europe, and formerly owned a residential barge and did likewise for some 14 years since cancer and spinal problems prompted early retirement. We also have a large number of friends who have residential craft or property in Europe. In my lifetime I have designed hospitals and medical facilities in Europe and throughout the world contributing significantly to our countries overseas earnings, and acquiring 5 European languages along the way. Because my medical conditions cause chronic pain the motorhome is a lifeline allowing me to travel long distances in a series of short hops of indeterminate length, able to make unbooked impromptu overnight stops, something which no other form of transport can offer. However to travel thus means all trips take a long time to accomplish.
Currently I am able to travel for extended periods in Europe without having to worry about how long I stay (within reason) whilst always respecting local residency rules.
However, after the UK-EU transition period ends on 31/12/2020 the Schengen 90/180 rule will come into force for UK nationals allowing me to spend only a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180 days in Europe. The only alternative currently open to me is to obtain visas for each of the countries I plan to visit every year. This is very constraining and is a cumbersome and unpredictable process, and would require personal visits to embassies in London which for me are very difficult to get to. Further, it may be cost prohibitive due to the requirement for long-term health insurance. You cannot apply for a visa if you are already travelling outside the UK therefore I will have to decide my exact timetable of visits before I leave the UK which for reasons already stated is difficult.
The UK Government Immigration Bill which has been given initial approval by MPs states,
“We expect to treat EU citizens as non-visa nationals meaning they can come to the UK as visitors for six months without the need to obtain a visa.” The Government seems to have accepted a proposal from the EU for 180 days visa-free travel for their citizens visiting the UK whilst accepting half of that visa-free allowance for UK citizens visiting Europe. It has therefore failed to secure reciprocity from the EU. It is untenable that the government should be satisfied with imbalanced arrangements that have so many disadvantages for more than 500,000 UK citizens and their families who currently take long trips in Europe
Whilst Government Ministers have acknowledged the concerns of these UK citizens, they are doing nothing practical to address the issue. They say that travel mobility will be addressed in the future relationship negotiations but inspection of the public text of the most recent government papers does not refer to tourist travel. An annexe to those documents which relates to fishing is a big item politically, and affects some 24,000 families but this is only 10% of the number affected by the Schengen 90/180 rule.
Unless travel arrangements are included in the agenda for UK-EU negotiations, and the Government position is altered as a matter of priority, then the half-million voters who take frequent or extended trips to the continent, or have second homes there, will be unable to continue to do so.
The Government has frequently stated that the EU will offer UK citizens 90 days visa-free travel in 180 days without qualifying that the 180 days are “rolling”, or without recognising the known limitations of the Schengen 90/180-day rule. By continuing to refer to the EU offer in this way, the government is misleading the public, many of whom may not have the intricate knowledge to yet appreciate the problems they will face.
In your role as my constituency MP, I am asking you to press the government to address the lack of equivalence between what the HMG is proposing to offer EU citizens and the restrictive Schengen 90/180-day rule being offered to UK citizens. The key decision makers in this regard are Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and Boris Johnson.
Yours sincerely
Regards
Ian and Lynn .....
Dear Mr .....
We are writing to you now because, despite a global pandemic, the Government is pressing ahead with negotiations on the future relationship with the EU, with inequitable consequences for the needs of UK citizens who have cause to travel in Europe. Our request is therefore urgent as any change in the negotiating position must be sorted out as a matter of priority before it is too late.
We have owned a Motorhome for 6 years and travel extensively in Europe, and formerly owned a residential barge and did likewise for some 14 years since cancer and spinal problems prompted early retirement. We also have a large number of friends who have residential craft or property in Europe. In my lifetime I have designed hospitals and medical facilities in Europe and throughout the world contributing significantly to our countries overseas earnings, and acquiring 5 European languages along the way. Because my medical conditions cause chronic pain the motorhome is a lifeline allowing me to travel long distances in a series of short hops of indeterminate length, able to make unbooked impromptu overnight stops, something which no other form of transport can offer. However to travel thus means all trips take a long time to accomplish.
Currently I am able to travel for extended periods in Europe without having to worry about how long I stay (within reason) whilst always respecting local residency rules.
However, after the UK-EU transition period ends on 31/12/2020 the Schengen 90/180 rule will come into force for UK nationals allowing me to spend only a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180 days in Europe. The only alternative currently open to me is to obtain visas for each of the countries I plan to visit every year. This is very constraining and is a cumbersome and unpredictable process, and would require personal visits to embassies in London which for me are very difficult to get to. Further, it may be cost prohibitive due to the requirement for long-term health insurance. You cannot apply for a visa if you are already travelling outside the UK therefore I will have to decide my exact timetable of visits before I leave the UK which for reasons already stated is difficult.
The UK Government Immigration Bill which has been given initial approval by MPs states,
“We expect to treat EU citizens as non-visa nationals meaning they can come to the UK as visitors for six months without the need to obtain a visa.” The Government seems to have accepted a proposal from the EU for 180 days visa-free travel for their citizens visiting the UK whilst accepting half of that visa-free allowance for UK citizens visiting Europe. It has therefore failed to secure reciprocity from the EU. It is untenable that the government should be satisfied with imbalanced arrangements that have so many disadvantages for more than 500,000 UK citizens and their families who currently take long trips in Europe
Whilst Government Ministers have acknowledged the concerns of these UK citizens, they are doing nothing practical to address the issue. They say that travel mobility will be addressed in the future relationship negotiations but inspection of the public text of the most recent government papers does not refer to tourist travel. An annexe to those documents which relates to fishing is a big item politically, and affects some 24,000 families but this is only 10% of the number affected by the Schengen 90/180 rule.
Unless travel arrangements are included in the agenda for UK-EU negotiations, and the Government position is altered as a matter of priority, then the half-million voters who take frequent or extended trips to the continent, or have second homes there, will be unable to continue to do so.
The Government has frequently stated that the EU will offer UK citizens 90 days visa-free travel in 180 days without qualifying that the 180 days are “rolling”, or without recognising the known limitations of the Schengen 90/180-day rule. By continuing to refer to the EU offer in this way, the government is misleading the public, many of whom may not have the intricate knowledge to yet appreciate the problems they will face.
In your role as my constituency MP, I am asking you to press the government to address the lack of equivalence between what the HMG is proposing to offer EU citizens and the restrictive Schengen 90/180-day rule being offered to UK citizens. The key decision makers in this regard are Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and Boris Johnson.
Yours sincerely
Regards
Ian and Lynn .....
