Why the British won't ditch Spain after Brexit UK citizens are a common sight during the holiday season in Spain, and many have made the sunny country their second home. But Brexit has made the lives of expats more difficult, with the exception of those in Gibraltar. In the Brexit referendum, some 96% of Gibraltarians voted in favor of staying in the EU. The news coming from Gibraltar these days is mixed. The British Overseas Territory, also known as the Rock, is in the tight grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, with virus infections among the population of 34,000 recently topping 1,000, threatening the brisk traffic of goods and people across its border with Spain.