Sabrina Willekens, 48, is a freelance interpretation consultant from Germany who lives in Perth. She used to back the Union, but Brexit proved to be a turning point.
GROWING up in a strong federal republic and seeing the benefits of a strong union, I was initially against Scottish independence, believing that we would indeed be stronger together and that Scotland wasn’t powerful, rich, and large enough to go it herself.
I probably believed the propaganda at the time. Then all the upheaval of Brexit came and I realised that this wasn’t the United Kingdom I voted for anymore. I stood aghast watching the xenophobia and bile bubble to the surface, and for the first time, felt like a true outsider in this Britain that should be “Better Together” and clearly wasn’t in any interpretation of the words.
NO TO YES: Click here to tell us about your No to Yes journey
I am German and an ardent European believing in peace, open trade and mutual ecological, cultural and social support across the nations.
To be ripped out of the EU and experiencing how Britain treated its European citizens was a horrendous experience and I went with reluctance to apply for settled status, stubbornly enquiring why I should humbly ask to be allowed to stay, and whose outcome would be decided at the whim of the Home Office, who also don’t agree for us to have physical proof of this right.
If the database went down, got lost, or the Home Office decreed differently, I fear I will be illegal. The prospects are bleak for us Europeans in the UK.
A stark contrast was how Scotland reacted. Nicola Sturgeon’s words on December 13, 2019, reassuring us EU citizens that we are welcome here and that she would fight with everything she had to protect our right to call Scotland our home had me spontaneously burst into tears of relief! Here was a nation that would fight for us to join in and be part of its fabric.
I feel safe in Scotland and welcome. I can contribute to this country and I am very willing to do so. Experiencing the strong leadership and reassuring, calm, regular, open and honest communication from the Scottish Government during the pandemic, I have developed a fervour to see independence.
READ MORE: From No to Yes: I campaigned for Better Together, but Brexit changed everything
I am learning with eagerness that actually, yes, Scotland can go it alone, as it is strong enough, wealthy enough, and by a country mile, savvy enough to become independent and be rid of the shackles that bind it.
I have now joined the SNP and am on the road to becoming an activist to support independence.
And I can’t wait to fill in the forms to apply for dual citizenship and after almost two decades of residency hold my own Scottish passport in my hands; a document that will say loud and clear that I am a New Scot, part of this fantastic country and a thread of the fabric that makes this place what it is: open, welcoming, sassy, international and outward looking.
From No to Yes: Why do you want Scotland to be independent?
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