IL DIPARTIMENTO
Sara: What are your worries and hopes about your life in a post-Brexit UK and Europe?
Thomas: My worries for a post-Brexit UK and Europe is that we all begin to look increasingly inwards, excluding ourselves from any form of shared culture and history. I remember the comedian James Acaster used an analogy which compared Brexit to a cup of tea. In that, if you leave the teabag in the mug, although it may appear that the teabag is getting weaker, it has actually become part of a stronger cup of tea. Yet if you take it out, the tea itself becomes weaker, and the teabag goes directly in the bin. I'm worried that, like the tea bag here, the UK will go into the metaphorical bin. I'm also greatly concerned for the future of EU nationals living in the UK, whose right to stay here and living situation is yet to be truly clarified by our government.
Emma: I really hope that relations between the UK and EU memberships aren't damaged to a point where it would be much harder to travel and work in EU member countries, and that I wouldn’t have too many obstacles in my way if I did decide to work in Italy or Spain for any length of time.
Sarah-Floss: On a personal and selfish level, I hope that Brexit does not limit my freedom of movement in terms of travelling and work opportunities abroad. In terms of my worries for others, I am very concerned about immigrants who currently live here, and those who wish to enter the UK. Firstly, from the perspective of the UK economy, I strongly believe that our country needs immigrants. Secondly, from the perspective of humanity, I feel that borders are restrictive, man-made constructs, which mask selfishness, and give the rich and greedy an excuse not to share space and resources.
Sofia: As a language student, the worry closest to my heart in post-Brexit Britain is that we will lose precious opportunities for cultural and linguistic exchange. I truly believe that freedom of movement in the EU has been an overwhelming positive thing for Britain and has enriched the nation socially, artistically, and culturally, not to mention economically. I also worry that young people in Britain will find studying and working in Europe more difficult, which would create an even greater sense of isolation between Britain and Europe. This could have a devastating impact on language studies in Britain, which has already seen a decline in the last few years.
Sarah-Floss: I feel that every nation is failing the refugees. These people have lost everything, and an obsession with borders is causing people to lose their lives. I agree that Italy as a country is not receiving enough support from the EU. If every country in the EU took in a percentage of people, perhaps proportional to its own population, and treated them as human beings, this crisis would be softened immensely, both for Italy and for the people involved.
DI: SARA BOCHICCHIO