Mrs P here...: Freedom of movement was a two way street. Hailing it’s end only took rights away from British citizens. The UKs previous immigration policy did not ‘favour’ EU citizens ahead of people from elsewhere. It reflected the fact that UK citizens also had those freedoms to live, work, study, travel and retire throughout the EU, without a visa. Migration to the EU for GB citizens may be possible after Brexit, but is extremely difficult. A number of different visas may be possible, depending on the country on which you wish to reside and their sovereign requirements, but they all depend on working/student arrangements, or having a big pot of cash. To find employment, the employer needs to sponsor the employee, after showing that the position cannot be filled by an EU citizen. Also bear in mind that most professional qualifications are no longer recognised in the EU due to the UK being out of the single market, so you may have to requalify before your work would be accredited in the EU, or have a few years experience in that line of work. A digital nomad visa may look ‘interesting’, but if you’re employed, your employer must first agree to the arrangement before you could apply for any visa, and of course not all work can be done remotely. All of this means that young people just starting out, and people coming up to retirement without a big pot of cash, are unlikely to be able to move to the EU. No-one born this century voted for Brexit, yet they will be the ones hardest hit by the reduced opportunities available to them. I haven't seen any benefits yet, that's for sure.
Clare Noeken ● 541d