The Spanish government has approved a series of unilateral contingency measures to protect the rights of Britons in Spain in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The package, set out in a royal decree that will go before parliament, will cover employment, social security, healthcare and education, and is designed to minimise disruption if the UK crashes out of the EU.

The Spanish government estimates that there are at least 300,000 Britons officially registered as resident in Spain, and more than 150,000 Spaniards living in the UK.



Speaking following a cabinet meeting on Friday, the foreign minister, Josep Borrell, said he hoped the UK would reciprocate what he called an “extremely generous” plan.

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“It’s a series of measures fundamentally designed to preserve the interests of citizens, whether they are Spanish or British, who exercised their right to freedom of movement before the withdrawal date,” he said.

“They exercised a right and it needs to be maintained and respected. We also have to preserve Spain’s normal trade flows and economic interests.”

Borrell said the legislation would also cover transport, customs and driving licences, and that the government was working to help the 9,000 people who cross into Gibraltar from Spain for work each day as well.

“We’re giving special consideration to this border and our chief aim is to defend the rights of cross-border workers,” he said. “Obviously, if the exit goes ahead, Gibraltar’s residents will be considered citizens of a third country. We will do everything possible to stop the flow of workers being disrupted.”

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Borrell said the legislation was designed to preserve normal life, but that he hoped it would never need to be applied. “That will only happen if the UK decides to leave the European Union through the window,” he said. “That still might not happen, and we’re doing what we can to make sure it doesn’t.”

Asked whether he expected reciprocity from the British government to safeguard the rights of Spaniards in the UK, he said: “Logically, this is unilateral, but two agreed unilateral [deals] make for a bilateral. Naturally, we’re in contact with the British government and hope that they will take similar measures themselves. It’s to avoid an international treaty, which would be far more rigid and complicated.”