Spanish officials continue to take action against British expats in Andalucia. As reported on Telegraph.co.uk, Chris Bryant, the Foreign Minister for Europe, visited with expatriates in Spain and talked to Spanish officials to address the situation:

“Obviously it’s not for the British Government to tell the Spanish what to do. But I’m pushing the message hard at all government levels that I meet here that they have got to put political willpower into these problems, whether it’s an amnesty, whether it’s a change in the law, whatever the solution is that is needed. That is the point I am pushing.”

As noted by AFP via Yahoo! News, the expats are also getting help in the form of a civil servant appointed by the British government to Andalucia to help with integration into that region.

Ever read an article written by someone that just flat out doesn’t like British expats? No? Well, now you can. Brian Reade has written a commentary about the British expats he’s met, and it includes this gem:

If I was offered the choice of being castrated with a broken cider bottle or spending a night with an expat there is only one request I’d make.

Can you make it a bottle of Magners and give me a slug before you smash it?

Here are a couple thoughts about each side of the immigration issue mentioned in the piece:

If a person doesn’t like “foreigners” coming to their country, does he or she stop to think what the natives will think when he or she moves to their country?

On the other side of the debate, however, I wonder about Mr. Reade’s assertion that most of the immigrants want to integrate. Well, how many don’t? How was this established? And what impact will they have on Great Britain over time? Is there a political impact? What might it be?

As always, it’s a controversial issue, and one that is not likely to go away any time soon.

I’d love to hear some comments from British expats about this, and of course, about the assertion that fuel allowances should be pulled from pensioners living abroad.

Here are a few expat related stories to kick of the week:

Forbes has created yet another “Top 10″ list in its unending effort to drive as much traffic as possible to its website. (Not knocking it, what company isn’t trying to do that!) This last one is about the Top 10 places to retire abroad.

Also, expats in the UAE may be required to take new drivers tests if proposals aimed at improving traffic safety are implemented.

And, finally, with the U.S. dollar once again plummeting, a great financial opportunity for expats has been created, and many are taking full advantage of it.

According to Live and Invest Overseas recent article, The World’s Top 12 Overseas Retirement Havens, La Barra, Uruguay is the best place for sophisticated seaside retirement. “This is oceanside living that’s also cosmopolitan and international. La Barra is a tidy town of neat white houses perched on a peninsula that stretches into the clear blue Atlantic. It’s a small, walkable city that boasts the comforts, amenities, services, distractions, and entertainments of much bigger ocean resort communities, minus the high-rises and the tourist trappings. The beaches are among the best in Uruguay. The cost of living is low. Yes, you could live for a little less elsewhere in Uruguay–in Atlántida or Salto, for example–but, in La Barra, you’re buying a higher standard of living. La Barra is this country’s (and one of the worlds’) best seaside choices,” writes Kathleen Peddicord.