British voters decided to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23, with 52% of the ballots supporting a so-called Brexit (Britain exit) over 48% for Bremain (Britain remain). British Prime Minister David Cameron tendered his resignation as this result. The outcome has given rise to uncertainty about what will happen to EU citizens living and working in the UK (free movement of workers across member states is a central tenant of the European Union) as well as companies and organizations that do cross-border business. The stock market and the pound have fallen in the wake of the Brexit vote, and there have been reports of an increase in xenophobic incidents across the UK. Around the globe, reactions to the vote in favor of leaving the EU have been diverse. Global Voices sought to find out what the Portuguese-speaking world are saying about Brexit. Through Facebook, we talked to João Carvalho, who lives near London with his daughter and where he has worked as a mechanic at Jaguar for a year. He said he left Portugal, which is a member of the EU, to find a good job and because he considered it a failed state. In England, Carvalho said he found a higher quality of life and the possibility to provide a good future for his daughter. He expected Brexit wouldn't have an impact on him and that it could “serve as a model for his own country”. Asked if he will remain in England even if the visa conditions become more difficult for European citizens, he replied, “I'll stay as long as the Queen allows me to stay,” and ended by saying that he had never personally experienced “any xenophobic sentiment by the British.” On the other hand, Patrícia Soares, who has lived in Brighton since 2014 where she's completing a doctoral degree, said the number of xenophobic attacks since the vote has increased. “Most of the cases that I have heard is directed at Muslims, Polish and Pakistanis,” she told Global Voices. She added that she hadn't encountered any discrimination or hate and that “the day after the referendum, several British colleagues asked me how I felt and were unanimous in making it clear to me that it is not their position and were embarrassed with this result.” Patricia doesn't intend to stay in England because her “goal was always a doctoral degree and return to Portugal.” The researcher acknowledges, however, that she'll need to change some of her plans: “We were exploring the possibility of continuing to work from Portugal and come regularly to the UK. Given the Brexit result,probably I'll have to think of other options. The funds will probably be more difficult to obtain and employers may not be so open to the possibility of paying someone from outside.” The Brexit vote revealed a deep split between the four countries that make up the United Kingdom: Scotland and Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly to remain, while England and Wales went the other way. The difference in voting has stoked calls for independence, especially in Scotland. Regarding the possibility of the UK breaking up, Soares said: O futuro do Reino Unido não está claro. No entanto, seja o que for que aconteça daqui para a frente ninguém poderá apagar estes resultados da memória dos cidadãos. Esquecendo as consequências políticas e económicas, o aumento da discriminação que o leave (“sair”) trouxe não poderá ser apagado. O país está claramente dividido e acredito que a Escócia vai fazer os possíveis para continuar na UE. Tendo em conta a história com a Irlanda, a Irlanda do Norte é mais complicado The future of the UK is unclear. However, whatever happens from now on, no one can erase these results from citizens’ memories. Forgetting political and economic consequences, increasing discrimination that the leave vote has brought cannot be deleted. The country is clearly divided and I believe that Scotland will do everything possible to continue in the EU. In regards to the history of Ireland, Northern Ireland is more complicated. From Brazil, blogger “Socialista Morena” (Tan Socialist) argued that it the Brexit issue wasn't clear cut between left and right-wing: Confesso que estranhei um certo desespero, por parte da esquerda, com a saída da Inglaterra da UE, como se fosse uma espécie de fim dos tempos – até porque a esquerda nunca foi uma grande defensora do bloco, pelo contrário. Nestes 23 anos de sua existência, não se pode dizer que a UE tenha sido uma maravilha para as pessoas mais necessitadas da Europa – a pobreza e a desigualdade estão crescendo, inclusive – ou mesmo para os imigrantes, que aparentemente serão o maior alvo da extrema-direita agora (como se já não fossem). Para complicar ainda mais, os pobres da Inglaterra votaram em sua ampla maioria pela saída do país da UE.