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British expats take steps to secure their futures in France

Brits in France are not waiting around for their politicians to ease their worries, they are taking matters into their own hands to secure their future in the country, which is clouded in uncertainty.

British expats take steps to secure their futures in France
Photo: Oli Bac/Flickr

British expats in France are not hanging around to wait for article 50 to be triggered or for two years of tortured negotiations to get underway.

While nothing has changed and no one really knows what the future holds, the uncertainty is enough to push many of them into the abyss – or French bureaucracy as it’s better known as.

Christopher Chantrey who is chairman of the British Community Committee of France says his organisation has received numerous enquiries from people wanting to know how they can best safeguard their lives in France.

“In some cases people are applying for French citizenship while others are going down the path of trying to get a permanent residency permit,” said Chantrey.

“They see it as an insurance policy because at the moment there is a huge cloud of uncertainty hanging over them.”

“It’s early days but they just don’t know what will happen.”

In terms of insurance policies, expats have a few options one of which is to apply for the “carte de Séjour permanent”, which would give them the right to stay as long as they have lived in France continuously for five years and they can prove it.

Another option is to go for French nationality, which would give British expats all the rights the French nationals have, including the right to vote in presidential elections.

Unlike Spain, France allows people to hold dual nationality, so those who go down this route can at least keep their British passport.

To qualify for French nationality you would need to have lived in France for five years and prove your French language ability, which can act as a barrier for some.

Another option which is harder and perhaps more troublesome is to find a French partner and marry them. Although to qualify for French nationality through this route you would need to have been married for at least four years.

French expats in the UK are also facing similar questions after the referendum, though Chantrey points out that the cost of gaining British citizenship far outweighs the price of applyinf for French nationality.

“Expats in France are taking matters into their own hands because we have never been priority for the government back home,” Chantrey said. “If we had been we would all have been given the vote in the referendum (those who have lived abroad for 15 years were barred from voting) and the result might have been different.

“We shouldn’t expect them to stick up for us.”

In his resignation speech David Cameron insisted that for the moment there would be no change to the rights of Brits living in the EU or vice versa, but he has clearly failed to ease any concerns.

“Expats just want to feel they are doing something. It’s a personal risk assessment, but we are definitely advising them to think about the options,” Chantrey said.

“I feel the older people in France, those who come to retire will be most at risk. They could have to go back to the UK.”

French bureaucrats can expect to be given a busy time by worried British expats over the next two years and perhaps beyond.

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TRAVEL NEWS

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

Eurostar could be forced to cut the number of trains when the EU's new biometric border checks (EES) are rolled out in October, the owner of London's St Pancras International Station has warned.

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

HS1, the owner of the station and operator of the high-speed line between London and the Channel tunnel, is the latest body to raise concerns over the impact on travel of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks that are set to come into force in October 2024.

The new system which requires citizens from outside the EU or Schengen area to register before entering the zone would lead to long delays and potential capping of services and passenger numbers, HS1 warned.

The company said it needed nearly 50 new EES kiosks to process passengers but the French government had only proposed 24.

In evidence to the European scrutiny select committee, HS1 wrote: “We are told that the proposed kiosks are ‘optional’ as the process can be delivered at the border, but without about 49 additional kiosks located before the current international zone [at St Pancras] there would be unacceptable passenger delays of many hours and potential capping of services.”

With just 24 kiosks, Eurostar would be unable to process all passengers, particularly at the morning peak, and this could “lead to services having to be capped in terms of passenger numbers”, HS1 warned, adding that simple space restrictions at St Pancras station would make the EES difficult to implement.

The EES will register non-EU travellers who do not require a visa (those with residency permits in EU countries do not need to register but will be affected by delays) each time they cross a border in or out of the Schengen area. It will replace the old system of manual passport-stamping.

It will mean facial scans and fingerprints will have to be taken in front of border guards at the first entry into the Schengen area.

Travel bosses have repeatedly raised the alarm about the possible delays this would cause, especially at the UK-France border, which is used by 11 million passengers each year who head to France and other countries across Europe.

Last week The Local reported warnings by officials that the new checks could lead to 14-hour queues for travellers heading to France.

Sir William Cash, Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, said: “Queues of more than 14 hours; vehicles backed up along major roads; businesses starved of footfall: this evidence paints an alarming picture of the possible risks surrounding the Entry-Exit System’s implementation.

“Clearly, this policy could have a very serious impact, not only for tourists and travel operators but also for local businesses. I implore decision makers on both sides of the Channel to take note of this evidence.”

READ ALSO: What affect will the EES border system have on travel to France?

The Port of Dover has already been struggling with the increased checks required since Brexit and there are fears the situation could be even worse once the EES starts to operate.

Given the possible impacts, the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee last year launched an inquiry calling for views by affected entities with deadline for replies on January 12th 2024.

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