Overhyped Countries

[Nords]

Lye shortage for the lutefisk.

I've tried many exotic cuisines, but for this one... I don't even wanna know.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I tasted a tiny bit once. The slimy fishy taste was compensated for by the gooey, gelatinous texture.

What was it that tony bourdain said once when fed partially cooked iguana tamales with bits of burned skin and bone included? Something about gouging out his eyes and throwing himself off a cliff being preferable?

 

[Honkie]

So...do I understand this correctly? My maternal grandmother was born in England, but her family was Russian and was en route to the US (her parents were not British citizens and Nana was the youngest and only child born in the UK)...so, I can't claim any kind of British citizenship, right?

But my paternal granfather was born and raised in Germany and left in his teens (also in The teens)--so I could claim German citizenship? Hitler would roll over in his grave  A branch of this family has been traced back to Spain.

My Italian grandfather was born in the US, although his parents were born in Italy and barely spoke English. Too bad...on the whole I'd prefer to claim Italian or Spanish citizenship...rather Mediterranean at heart (hate the cold, have a dolce far niente attitude, and prefer to accomplish things manana!).

astroemeria, you do not have a right to Citizenship, but you do have a Right of Abode, that means you can move and work there, but you cannot vote until after a residancy period, I believe it is 2 years.

Europe after WW11 was a bombed out ruin, many people left, but Europe has rebuilt itself and although materially they have less, I believe there are certain social advantages.??

Italy is wonderful, they really do take a great attitude towards living.

Howard, do I understand that you are refering to the UK when you say that astromeria would have "Right of Abode"?  If you are, then I am afraid that it is not correct.

As a pretty good rule of thumb, unless one has a parent who was BORN in the UK to British parents, AND that parent holds a British passport, no nationality or abode rights are passed on. Thus by extension, if any of you guys are going back as far as Grandparents to find a descendent born in a European Country (as your parents were not), then you are probably not going to get aywhere.

However, like all good principles there are exceptions.The most common are:

1) be a very good/professional footballer that a big European club or Country wants - players from South America often dredge up an Italian/Portugese/Spanish Grandparent to avoid Visa rules and Foreign Player Quotas in some European countries.

2) Have a German name. Germany is (I believe) the only european Country that still considers German hereditary ethnicity to be more important than residence. Thus all the Schmidts, Muellers and Rheinehardts currently residing in Chile, Argentina, Belarus and Kazahkstan, are still considered eligible for full German Citinship if their heritage can be shown. (Case in point, Manchester United have a defender from Argentina called Gabriel Heinze - previously played in France for PSG)

I do know the rules for the UK VERY well, and the rest of Europe in pretty much the same, with one or two exceptions with respect to the residents of a couple of countries' former colonies and outposts.

If anyone want to know more details / specifics, feel free to ask. Hope this helps.

By the way Howard, how long ago did you leave the UK / how long is it since you last visited??

Cheers
Honkie

 

[Howard]

Honkie, No, I am correct, you do have right of Abode.

My B in L whose Grand Father was born in the UK recently moved to the UK, Canadian Born, and had no trouble getting a work permit,he stayed for almost 2 years, also got NIH coverage.

I have not been back to the UK for about 2 years, before that it was annually, sometimes several times a year,a nd it has been about 50 since I left.

Some parts of London have changed dramatically, Mosques and my old street is now Nelson Mandela Way, but get out beyond commuting distance of London and things are much as they have been for centuries.

I got my Passport by completeing the forms over the web, good for 10 years(Canada only for 5 years), and after I am 75 I won't have to pay for it.

 

[poyet]

My MIL was German and I suggested some years ago to my wife to get in contact with the ambassy and try to get back a (her German citizenship. The unfortunate thing about it, though she's a direct daughter of a 100% German mother, is first that it is not easy at all (they asked a lot of questions about the reasons for that step..., etc.) and second that they would expect to strip you of your current citizenship (i.e. French) which I would not have minded about, but my wife did ! She could not have both citizenships. You had to choose. Just my two cents.

 

[poyet]

In my travelling youth days, when I spend some time in France where I was born, I thought it might be advantageous to having dual citizenship so I inquired about getting French citizenship papers. I was told in order to get my papers I would have to serve in the French military. Unlike the USA, I wonder if being born to non-French citizens was the reason.
I wonder what new requirementa are needed to get European citizen papers.

MJ

MJ,

1) each country in Europe has its own regulations as far as getting citizenship is concerned.

2) having to serve 12mths in the military had nothing to do with not being born to French parents. It just had to do, that at the time of your request, each and every French citizen had to serve 12 months. Having that pleasure would have been the very recognition of your new citizenship !!!

As an aside conclusion, as the law has changed and as there is no longer any military service in France, you could try to resume your request at no other risk than ending French which might not be the best gift you could receive !

 

[Honkie]

Honkie, No, I am correct, you do have right of Abode.

My B in L whose Grand Father was born in the UK recently moved to the UK, Canadian Born, and had no trouble getting a work permit, he stayed for almost 2 years, also got NIH coverage.

Getting a work permit to live and work and acquiring rights deriving from the entitlements of hereditary nationality are two very different things. I would still stand by my original assertion.

As far as Britain is concerned, a persons British Citizenship derives in two ways: one is "By Descent", the other is termed "Otherwise than By Descent". The child of A British Citizen, if the child is born outside of the UK, DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY retain the ability to pass on British Nationality to their children. If that child subsequently does not live in Britain, or has no ties or links to Britain itself and has a child with a non British National, the Right to British Citizenship for that child dimishes. Thus, a tenuous link to a Brit Grandparent will not confer definite rights of citizenship upon a person born outside Britain with no personally and significant links.

For NIH, I presume you mean NHS (National Health Service), the free public health system. That is free to use for any resident of the UK, so even an asylum seeker, illegal immigrant, ot temporary worker on a visa (think Austrlian bar worker!) is fully entitled to use it.

Cheers,

Honkie

 

[Martha]

They thought they were heading south to balmy Minnesota to escape from those nasty Scandinavian winters?

My best friend is Finnish with her parents born in Finland. They visist Finland on occasion. They say it looks just like Northern Minnesota, except that they eat more ice cream in Finland.

 

[Martha]

I tasted a tiny bit once. The slimy fishy taste was compensated for by the gooey, gelatinous texture.

Must have forgot the mustard.

 

[Nords]

My best friend is Finnish with her parents born in Finland.  They visist Finland on occasion.  They say it looks just like Northern Minnesota, except that they eat more ice cream in Finland. 

My paternal ancestors came from Germany, but the family name is much much more common in Finland.

Not that I have any desire to go to either place and locate remote cousins. I'd be much happier giving out surfing lessons here...

 

[Howard]

Honkie, I agree, the Son gets automatic Citizenship, the Grand ? does not, but you are allowed to visit and to work,a nd after a Residency period, you may apply for Citizenship.

My Two sons, both born in Canada, have the Red Passport, I just sent in my Birth Certificate(for good measure I sent my Father's and His Fathers.)(My Buddy, an Irishman, has done the same thing).

It gets complicated of your Mother was born there, the rules used to be differant?

We have toyed with the idea of going back home for a few years, winters in Spain or Portugal, but never for a permanent move.

 

[mike-1]

Honkie ...Seems you are correct here. I found this link

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/in...tions/nis/chapter_20/british_citizenship.html

Howard ... wife was registered as a brit in the mid-seventies and our boys got UK passports also. It seems their kids, if they ever have any, wont.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Must have forgot the mustard.

Yeah, thats what my friend from minnesota said. Unfortunately that just made it spicier and still disgusting

 

[unclemick]

Didn't like it in Washington as a kid - with anything and sure as heck didn't have it on my list after 30 yrs of New Orlean's style seafood.

Now - as a backpacker in CO days - Son's of Norway -sardines - not too bad.

lutefisk - was not my bag.

heh heh heh

 

[Howard]

mike-1 , we are all in agreement, Right of Abode does not confer a Red Passport, it just means you have the right to live and work there,and then apply for your Citizenship after a waiting period.

 

[Howard]

This site will allow UK citizens to order Birth Certificates etc

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp

 

[mike-1]

mike-1 , we are all in agreement, Right of Abode does not confer a Red Passport, it just means you have the right to live and work there,and then apply for your Citizenship after a waiting period.

Howard, when over there for several months in the first half of 1999 (perhaps you recall my thread at TFL 'Letter from London') I was told that any person with a EU passport could use the National Health free of charge and, similarly by reciprocity, a Brit could use the European health services.

I can't vouch for it though.

I do know though that I could have worked anywhere in the EU without problems.

 

[MJ]

As an aside conclusion, as the law has changed and as there is no longer any military service in France, you could try to resume your request at no other risk than ending French which might not be the best gift you could receive !

Hey, no one's perfect, n'est pas ?
I am not sure if I would want to be a citizen of Texas, but if becoming one, I could have the "right of abode" in the US, well a Texan I would be. Oh, I forgot, Texas is part of good ol' US of A.

 

[Chan]

Or may be they found it boring being taken care of by the government - from birth to grave. This concept is quite scary to many people.

 

[Maximillion]

MJ, n'est ce pas ?

 

[Lancelot]

I met a Finnish guy in Cambodia who paid for his overseas vacations by buying copies of brand name shoes/clothes and reselling them in Helsinki. On this trip he told me he bought 40 pairs of "Pumas" for $10 and would resell them for $40 / pair back home.

Me "Do your customs officers make you pay duy?" Him "How can they? I tell them I have many brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, cousins...."

Gotta love a country like that

Lance

 

[MJ]

MJ, n'est ce pas ?

picky picky picky...... merci mon ami.

MJ

 

[Maximillion]

Hell mj, fifty years of reading French on my Cereal Boxes, something had to stick.

French Guy turns the Boxes so French side is displayed, English guy turns the Box around so the English side shows.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Oh, I forgot, Texas is part of good ol' US of A. Grin Wink

Depends on who you ask.

 

[ESRBob]

Catherine,
Just got back from vacation in Caribbean and DW is making noises about how she would rather go somewhere else in Feb next year and couldn't we find someplace warm in Europe? I thought immediately of Malta, but the weather charts suggest you are getting 59 degrees F/ 15 degrees C sort of weather now -- is that unusual for Feb or is it pretty much the norm? I know that isn't cold, but it isn't 80 degree Carib weather either... or are there other places in Europe (spain? Cyprus?) with reliable warmth this time of year? If you live anywhere in the northeast or northern midwest, you've just gotta get someplace warm in winter or you start to go a bit batty... (at least I do! )