How second passport became key to freedom for young Brits

Just like his parents, Paul Zaba was born in the UK and given British citizenship at birth. But this only reflected part of the picture.

- Jessica Furseth, The Independent

Culturally, Paul's family has always been part Polish - they all speak the language, and Paul attended Polish Saturday school and scout camps. “I describe myself as Polish-British,” says Paul, who feels like he belongs to both countries. “I'm very involved with the Polish diaspora.” But even though Paul has four Polish grandparents, he never held a Polish passport. It never seemed necessary - until now. “On the day we got the result of the Brexit vote, (my Polish friends and I) texted each other that, obviously, we're going to get Polish citizenship now,” says Paul. “It was that immediate; the plan was hatched. We wanted to retain all the benefits of being EU citizens, of being able to travel in Europe unimpeded and have the option to settle there.”

Many UK-born people who, like Paul, always had the right to dual citizenship with a European country, simply never bothered to do the paperwork. It costs money and is a lot of hassle, so unless there’s a specific reason, why bother? But all that changed with Brexit, when Brits lost their freedom of movement to not just seamlessly travel in Europe, but also to live and work in 27 EU countries with almost the same rights as locals.