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Expats in France offered six more British Embassy outreach meetings
| Published: | 5 Nov at 6 PM |
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Four outreach meetings for UK expats during November and a further two in December are to be held by staff from the British Embassy in Paris.
As with previous meetings, the aim will be to answer British expatriates’ questions about their situation after Brexit becomes a reality rather than just a bad dream. Chantilly and Aix en Provence will host senior embassy officials on November 7 and 14 respectively, with Saint Germain-en-Laye and Saint Malo’s meetings to be held on November 19 and 20th. In December, the Annecy meeting will be on the third, and the Dijon event will take place on the 10th. Previous meetings elicited numerous complaints from worried expats who felt their questions hadn’t produced any answers which might allay their concerns for their futures as residents in France.
At the same time, expats’ rights campaigners are organising a massive push as a last-ditch bid to ring-fence the rights of British expats in France. In the event of a no-deal crash out of the EU, Britons’ rights will depend on goodwill between the French and British governments, which in turn would depend on the rights of French citizens living in the UK. Although Theresa May has stated EU expats would be treated fairly – some say generously - in all ways, a recent statement by immigration minister Caroline Nokes has reignited bad feeling.
Nokes told reporters EU citizens in Britain would face ‘rigorous checks’ both on their residential status and their right to work should a no-deal Brexit be the final outcome. Even although her comment was clarified later by British Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who said a reasonable transition period would apply as a practical approach, Nokes’ statement won’t be forgotten.
As with previous meetings, the aim will be to answer British expatriates’ questions about their situation after Brexit becomes a reality rather than just a bad dream. Chantilly and Aix en Provence will host senior embassy officials on November 7 and 14 respectively, with Saint Germain-en-Laye and Saint Malo’s meetings to be held on November 19 and 20th. In December, the Annecy meeting will be on the third, and the Dijon event will take place on the 10th. Previous meetings elicited numerous complaints from worried expats who felt their questions hadn’t produced any answers which might allay their concerns for their futures as residents in France.
At the same time, expats’ rights campaigners are organising a massive push as a last-ditch bid to ring-fence the rights of British expats in France. In the event of a no-deal crash out of the EU, Britons’ rights will depend on goodwill between the French and British governments, which in turn would depend on the rights of French citizens living in the UK. Although Theresa May has stated EU expats would be treated fairly – some say generously - in all ways, a recent statement by immigration minister Caroline Nokes has reignited bad feeling.
Nokes told reporters EU citizens in Britain would face ‘rigorous checks’ both on their residential status and their right to work should a no-deal Brexit be the final outcome. Even although her comment was clarified later by British Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who said a reasonable transition period would apply as a practical approach, Nokes’ statement won’t be forgotten.
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