again to Spain?

As a result of a report published yesterday on "El Mundo"

Is it true that british retired people are now returning to Spain? I cannot see them...

Apparently the Costa del Sol is still an attractive country for the British, despite everything (we wonder why?) However, when the retired people come to Spain they might find that it has become as expensive as their home country. And it is true, we see them less and less.....

Where we are it is the Brits/ex-pats of working age that are returning home as there is absolutely no jobs on the Costa del Sol.  I still see loads of retired people here though.

I keep thinking these years that the Andalucian work efforts need to concentrate on european retires peopl: in a highly proffessional way: it is our future.

In what way do you mean Maria?

 I mean that we need to care for foreign retired people relocating to Andalucia through bette services, better services, better services

Hi Maria,

Yes there are a few retirees still purchasing in Spain me for one, just completed and will move permanently in Sept.

I think that the buyers are a bit more select now and moving away from the overcrowded/overdeveloped Costas. I think some inland villages will see a small increase in numbers buying long established properties that are not under threat of being declared illegal.

Keep up the good work, I find your posts most useful.

Unfortunatley Maria no it is not true as thousands of Brits have gone back and thousands more intend to go back as soon as they can sell up. I think as usual it is the press doing what they do best and painting everything in pink! I have been all over Murcia region over the last 3 weeks and there are very very few people about even in the winter I have never seen it so quite. The Balearics were the same.

The exchange rate does have a lot to do with theirdecision although it is not the only reason. The people that I know that have gone back are just fed up with having to deal with a corrupt beaurocracy.

Examples of this are obviously the illegal builds scenario and wondering if they are going to be next in line, then there is the fact that the judicial system is so outdated, not to mention the fact that most days when anybody drives into their home town they are stopped by the police and asked to produce their documents (spanish & british I might add) but the spanish have know where to escape to!

It does seem to me that Spain is becoming rather a police state at the moment and their energies are not being used in the right direction like preventing real crime.

Today  as an example,I went into a town and in one of the bars it was full of policemen in uniform on duty drinking beers at 12.00noon!! These are the same police men that will be stopping decent people from getting on with their everyday lives.

One of the problems now is that because the authorities have spent so much money on recruiting more police officers (which they cannot afford) they have to pay for them and one of the easiest targets is stopping people in their cars and fining them on the spot for any minor offense, this has even happened in the towns as people are walking about doing their shopping! They know that people will not contest them as it is too costly and easier to pay up and who wants to be carrying their passport around whilst they shop!

I have always looked on the bright side whilst in Spain but even I am getting fed up with the beaurocracy.

I am sure there will be those that don't agree!