Brexit blamed as Spain proposes ban on Britons buying homes
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Plan to tackle housing issues would shut out those looking to retire to sunnier shores. Brexit has been blamed for ruining the plans of Britons looking to move to Spain, following an announcement by country’s prime minister that he is looking to ban property purchases by those from outside the European Union.
![[Demonstrators in Barcelona protesting the rising cost of renting]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/11/23/17/Spain_Protest_80970.jpg)
The move by Pedro Sanchez is an attempt to curb rising housing prices. “We will propose to ban these non-EU foreigners who are not residents, and their relatives, from buying houses in our country since they only do so to speculate,” he said. He added that non-EU residents represent about 23,000 of almost 700,000 homes bought and sold every year in Spain. Of all foreigners buying property in the country, British buyers lead the way with almost 10 per cent of transactions.
A group that advocates for Britons in Spains believes the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is the root cause of distress for those who had been hoping to move to sunnier shores. “These new measures – assuming they are passed by parliament – will only add to the barriers we face in Europe as non-EU citizens.”.
Spain has seen a surge in overtourism protests in some areas over the past year, many focusing on the impact holiday rental properties have on the lack of housing in their area. A mounting housing crisis for permanent Spanish residents has left some feeling they have been locked out of the housing market exacerbated by short-term holiday rentals.
