HUNGER STRIKE

He also argued that the Withdrawal Agreement made clear that the host state would help any applicants correct mistakes in their application.

accounts set up by the criminal gang she was part of, which claimed to be importing and selling the phones legitimately. Despite going to great lengths to hide the profits, HM Revenue and Customs investigators uncovered the complex web of transactions used to launder the stolen money through international bank accounts. These included accounts in the UK, Andorra, Dubai, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Portugal and the US.

Panitzke's failure to repay the stolen money means she still owes the full amount plus interest, which continues to accrue at a rate of £538 per day, and has now reached a total of £3,782,779.

Nicol Sheppard, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said Panitzke’s actions had deprived the UK of vital public money.

“Panitzke was part of a criminal gang that stole millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and deprived our public services of vital funding,” Sheppard said.

It added that any such errors or omissions could not be used as an excuse to deny residence. Mark immediately appealed to Valencian immigration authorities but was refused and although the Ombudsman took up his case, the answer ended up the same.

He then appealed to the European Commission which agreed Spain may have misapplied the regulations in the Withdrawal Agreement. But unfortunately it added it could not intervene in any specific case.

Mark is now worried about leaving the country in case he is fined on his return for not having a residencia or even denied entry.

“It’s madness really. I normally work around the world on shortterm contracts, earning money that I then spend back home, effectively bringing money into Valencia,” he said.

“But right now I cannot travel so I cannot work and am surviving on my savings.”

As a final throw of the dice, he launched a hunger strike on Monday where he will only drink water until his situation is resolved.

“This is not something I am doing for a day or two to get some publicity, but to get action, as my life is in limbo as I cannot do anything,” declared Mark.