The world's focus is on the health emergency and most people have almost forgotten the dreaded 'B word'.
But we are approaching halfway through the transition period before the UK's definitive departure from the EU and very little has happened to clarify how the Withdrawal Agreement will be implemented for Britons in the EU.
We take stock of the state of citizens' rights for UK citizens in the EU and EEA, and explain what British in Europe is doing to fight for them. 

According to the World Health Organisation, the Covid-19 outbreak has infected more than 1.5 million people around the globe so far. Almost every single country in the world has closed its' borders, announced a state of emergency and put its' residents under total lockdown. While the world is still figuring out how to stop the deadly disease and find a cure, the virus continues to spread. Read on to get a better understanding of how the virus has become the biggest threat to the financial markets and the global economy, what is specific about this crisis, which are the most damaged countries and markets, and what should we expect from the upcoming future?

Almost half (48.3%) of tourists who had planned to visit Portugal in 2020 would still visit if travel restrictions were lifted, according to a survey by Portugalist.com. Of those that plan to visit this year, 52.7% hope to visit Portugal in the autumn or winter compared to 30.4% who hope to visit in the summer.

Brexit will soon be here. We don’t know yet in which terms, but we know tourism will drop a lot in the Algarve, at least for some time. Our exports to the UK will fall. The UK will have to change its global trade and in the short run it will affect all of us.

French citizens can take satisfaction that their nationality has once again been ranked as the best in the world, while for citizens of the UK, the ramifications of a ‘hard’ Brexit could well sink the quality of their nationality from 8th globally, to 56th (the current position of China). This is according to the latest findings of the Kälin and Kochenov’s Quality of Nationality Index (QNI), which is the only ranking that objectively measures and ranks all the world’s nationalities as legal statuses.

The British Embassy has appointed Louisa Blandy Moreau, as the new British Honorary Consul for the island of Madeira and Porto Santo. Louisa is no stranger to Madeira as she was born in Funchal and is part of the Blandy family, known for their Madeira wine production. Her initial education started in Madeira but then carried on in the UK. She came back to live in Funchal permanently in 2007. She is involved in the family business and carries out the role of Property Manager at Palheiro Village, Palheiro Nature Estate.

the3million and British in Europe agreed to make a joint statement about the failed Brexit deal between the UK and the EU:

Citizens’ rights groups the3million and British in Europe have reacted with anger and disappointment after the Brexit negotiators failed to deliver their promise to agree a deal that would allow people to carry on living their lives in exactly the same manner as before Brexit.

Mr Chris Sainty has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic in succession to Ms Kirsty Hayes. 

Mr Sainty will take up his appointment in summer 2018.