Following the British public’s decision to leave the EU, the Mayor of Manilva, Diego José Jiménez, has issued the following statement reassuring all ex- pats living here and people who have, or are thinking of, buying a second home in Manilva.
“We want to send a crystal clear message to every single British resident or second home owner living in Manilva. You have made our town your home and you are more than welcome to be here sharing the best of what we have. We are only a small town on the western edge of the greater Costa del Sol Region of Southern Spain but we would like to take this opportunity to express to you our enormous gratitude for the cultural, economical and social contribution you make to our home. Our sentiment and resolution will not change because of the negative result of the Brexit referendum.
There are well over three thousand British expats currently registered as living in Manilva on a permanent basis without going into how many thousands are invested here in one way or another, you all bring huge benefits to our town, investing in businesses, buying homes, paying taxes and social security, working and contributing to our everyday lives and enriching our cultural diversity.
It now falls to us as people to pick up the pieces and make sure any changes that may come in time are as painless as possible for you, while hoping there will be few, if any at all. Furthermore it is all of our responsibility to help heal the many divisions that have arisen amongst families, friends and neighbours throughout the whole period of this campaign.
Now we would like to use a common and much used phrase; It’s now time to focus on what unites us, rather than that which divides us”