Spain hosts the largest British expat community in Europe. In the seaside town of Rojales, many UK citizens say they feel at home, but Brexit has complicated their lives.
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00:00The day begins slowly in Rojales on the Costa Blanca.
00:05It's time for a round of golf or a lazy coffee.
00:09This is how life is for the 300,000 British citizens,
00:13mostly retired, who have chosen Spain as their home.
00:17We've worked all our lives, so we want to have fun.
00:24In the cafes, people read English papers,
00:27news about places that feel distant from where they are.
00:43The UK's exit from the European Union has forced many Britons
00:47to return to their country every three months,
00:50and many who haven't secured permanent residency have sold their homes.
00:55A disaster. They hadn't a clue what they were voting for.
00:58The July 4th elections could change the political landscape in the UK,
01:02whose economy continues to be constrained by the consequences of Brexit.
01:07It's funny that in the election campaign,
01:09they don't talk about Brexit, but it's a kind of elephant in the room.
01:12If Labour wins, which is also being very careful with this issue,
01:16well, surely there will be a closer approach to Brussels and the community club.
01:22Even so, most Britons living in Rojales say they won't vote.
01:27I don't do politics, you know.
01:30It's not worth the hassle. It's not worth the hassle.
01:33But for those who wanted to vote, things haven't been easy either.
01:37The short notice of this election has prevented them from registering.
01:41I have tried to vote, and yet again, because I'm in Spain,
01:44it has been very, very complicated, and I have to have a proxy vote,
01:48so I have to get someone in the UK to vote for me,
01:50but the time has now passed in order for me to get that in place.
01:54As the UK prepares to go to the polls in a crucial election,
01:58these British citizens don't feel that the results will have any impact on their lives.
02:03I would particularly want the government to look at freedom of movement,
02:08you know, but that's tied up with immigration,
02:11and I think people are getting the wrong end of the stick,
02:14and they're so hit up with immigration that they can't see the end,
02:17which is why we had Brexit in the first place, really.
02:19Whatever the outcome, tomorrow will be another sunny day in southern Spain.
02:28For more UN videos visit www.un.org