Who or what are the Falkland Islands?
We’re a British Overseas Territory, located 8,000 miles away from the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic.
Despite our distance, we are very proud to be part of the UK family and in a recent referendum, 99.8% of Falkland Islanders voted to remain a British territory.
Our population of 3,200 people – made up from over 60 nationalities – has worked very hard to build a very strong, self-sufficient economy which is thriving. However, our stable financial foundations are now at significant risk.
Brexit and the Falkland Islands
We are not part of the European Union, but being a British Overseas Territory means that we have been able to forge a special relationship with the EU through the Overseas Association Decision, or ‘OAD’.
This awards us tariff-free and quota-free trade opportunities with European markets, which helps us to remain competitive and develop a sustainable and resilient economy.
If the UK were to leave the EU without any free trade agreement or deal and meat and fishery exports were subject to tariffs and quotas there would be a significant impact on the wider economy and jobs would be lost. There would also be an impact on government finances with an annual loss of revenue of up to 16%, damaging the Government’s ability to deliver essential public services and to invest in critical infrastructure for the future growth of the Falkland Islands.
