Despite the large and growing percentages of foreigners on the costas, Charlie Mullins hasn’t felt unwelcome in Spain – but then ‘us expats’ pay a lot of tax
WELCOME to my first rant of 2026, and may I say what an honour it is to be hurling my views to a much broader audience in the Olive Press’ first national edition in its 20th year.
So, it feels quite appropriate to pile into the controversy surrounding the growing number of Spanish becoming readers of this venerable publication.
I don’t get the commotion about which parts of Spain have more expats than locals living there, as reported on your front page in December.
It’s not as if the vast majority of expats don’t pay their way. In fact, the net contribution of the average foreign resident to the economy is far greater than that of a local. We certainly pay a lot of tax.
On top of that we’re far cheaper to have around since most of us don’t qualify, or expect to, get state funded health treatment.
So again, I ask, what’s the problem? We pay our way and we don’t use up public services.
I get that the locals may feel a little bit overrun by loads of newcomers speaking English, Russian and French. And for our part, we should probably try a bit harder to learn the language. Particularly us Brits.
But overall, we put a lot of cash into the economy, including paying the local legal experts – and thousands of gestors (come on Spain, are they really necessary?) – to sort out all the paperwork needed.
And it’s not just here in Spain that we get a hard time about being foreigners. I’ve been called a hypocrite for migrating to Spain while still taking pot-shots at the UK Government for not stopping the boats full of migrants flooding into the UK.
But it’s not the same is it!? Those being smuggled into the UK do not have the legal right to enter the country. If they did, they’d be arriving in a comfortable seat on EasyJet and for a lot less money than the average people smuggler charges to send them dicing with death in the English Channel.
Getting back here in Spain I think the issue is getting more column inches than it really deserves since I don’t really get a sense of being unwanted as I go about my everyday life in Marbella.
I think most of the noise comes from activists with an axe to grind with their own politicians and taking pot shots at foreigners is an easy way to get their attention.
It’s a non-story with very little resemblance to the reality of people’s lives, whatever their nationality or mother-tongue might be.
I love it here and I’m proud to call Spain my home.
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