The consequences of Brexit are not yet fully foreseeable. However, it is already becoming clear how strongly Britain's exit from the EU could affect a country that is almost completely ignored by the British.
- Great Britain has not been a member of the EU since February 1st.
- After the Brexit *, the United Kingdom is in a transition phase - how it will actually proceed has yet to be clarified.
- In the negotiations, an island country is almost completely left out - which could have devastating consequences.
Munich - In times of the corona virus *, other topics on the political agenda quickly fade into the background. This also applies to the negotiations around Brexit , in which a country is almost completely forgotten anyway. What seems understandable in exceptional situations is simply a disaster for the residents under normal circumstances.
Brexit: Britain's exit from the EU hits a country particularly hard - but London doesn't care
Great Britain has officially not been a member of the EU since February 1st *, until the end of 2020 there is currently a transition phase * in which all regulations for the period after Brexit * will be made.
In addition to economic interests, these negotiations also deal with life in the border areas of Ireland or Gibraltar, which is not part of the United Kingdom. Other British overseas territories are literally forgotten, which is not only clear from the fact that the local population was not allowed to participate in the referendum *. The example of Anguilla shows how much Brexit affects these small areas.
The island of Anguilla is located in the Caribbean and, along with Gibraltar, Bermuda or the Cayman Islands, is one of 14 British overseas territories. However, there is little interest in the approximately 15,000 residents in London, which is more than 6,500 kilometers away. Several requests from the Anguilla government for the post-Brexit period have so far remained unanswered . Critics say Anguila is known to the British as a tax haven, if at all.
Brexit and the consequences for Anguilla: Island relies on EU territories close to the border
Great Britain's exit from the EU hits the small island hard , as Manuela Boatca, professor at the University of Freiburg, told the Catapult Magazine (April / June 2020 edition). The island borders the French and Dutch overseas territories via the Anguilla Canal. Anguilla is simply dependent on them.
The movement of goods from building materials to drinking water is regulated almost entirely via the airport on the Dutch island of Sint Maarten and the French part of the island, St. Martin. The Brexit could now lead to increased tariffs .
The islanders are also dependent on the EU territories with regard to medical care or postal services and border traffic is not the only problem that people face.
Brexit hits Anguilla hard: "We could be cut off from the world from day one after Brexit"
In 2017, hurricane Irma raged in the Caribbean and destroyed large parts of Anguilla. As a result, tourism, which is vital for the island, collapsed. At the time of the reconstruction, the EU had by far the largest share of aid . This important pillar of development aid is now threatening to cease to exist with Brexit - unless one has not completely forgotten its small island territory in London.
All in all, Brexit Anguilla hits very hard, as Blondel Cluff, Anguilla's government official, explains to Spiegel. Not only financial matters play a role here, because it is also "about cultural and family connections - we could be cut off from the world from day one after Brexit ."
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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson * is currently suffering from the corona virus. After being transferred to the intensive care unit, there is now news about his health.
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
Rubric list picture: © picture alliance / dpa / Yui Mok
