Britain goes to vote today on whether it should stay in the European Union or walk away. The campaign has been fierce and Britain seems to be divided down the middle. If one were to go by the mood in the financial markets, then breaking away from the EU seems like a bad idea. It is difficult to predict who will win, but Goans in the UK and at home are tense. Breaking away will, in the long term, stop automatic entry into the UK via Portugal and the lines outside the consulate in Panaji will diminish. Also, what is not clear is the impact Brexit will have on Goans and Indians working in the UK and without a five year domicile. Britain is as worried about immigrants as we are in Goa about ‘outsiders’. A similar vote in Goa would have hovered around special status with the sole purpose of keeping immigrants out. Political pundits predict that should Brexit win the Conservative party could implode, leaving Labour to pick up the pieces and take Britain forward. For now it’s neck-and-neck with Prime Minister David Cameron’s future hanging precariously in the balance.
