LandlordInvest staff asked to avoid EU travel as P2P lenders prepare for Brexit deadline
LANDLORDINVEST has asked staff to avoid travelling outside the UK after 31 October as peer-to-peer lending platforms prepare for the latest Brexit deadline.
Filip Karadaghi, managing director of the P2P property lending platform, said staff who are EU citizens without UK passports have been asked to be back in the UK by the end of October if they are travelling.
“We have asked relevant employees to be back in the UK before 31 October if they have any travel plans, although we cannot prevent them,” he told Peer2Peer Finance News.
“We are concerned that they could otherwise be stranded or have significant difficulties entering the UK in a timely manner due to the uncertainty with what will occur.”
Read more: LandlordInvest hits £5m lending milestone
It comes as European leaders are due to consider Boris Johnson’s latest Brexit plans this week, which effectively takes England, Scotland and Wales out of the EU at the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021 but ties Northern Ireland into certain regulations under the customs union for a further four years until 2025.
The prime minister is still committed to leaving the EU on 31 October with a no deal if necessary, despite MPs passing a bill compelling him to ask for an extension.
Read more: New financial council launched to help SMEs ahead of Brexit
Employees working in the fintech and P2P lending sector have also been preparing.
Maria Samayoa, production and account manager for White Label Crowdfunding, which builds crowdfunding platforms for providers, gained British citizenship this week.
Originally from Spain, she has been living in the UK for more than eight years and already had permanent residency in the UK so rather than going through the government’s EU settlement scheme, she opted for citizenship as she has now lived in the UK for more than the required six years.
“The whole process costs more than £1,700 including birth certificate translations, exams, online application and the ceremony,” she said.
“I have chosen to get the passport because I will have it forever and you never know if the law will change for some reason.
“Nobody knows what’s happening with Brexit, so I had the opportunity to be British and I thought it was the best option.”
Read more: UK fintech investment on the rise despite Brexit concerns