I've just had an interesting exchange on Facebook with a guy who is worried that if the UK leaves the EU we will all need the old "Carte de Séjour". He is worried that we will all be kicked out.
I am so sorry that people are afraid.
I think we are about 800 000 ex pats here in France. Could you even imagine France saying "you all have to leave"? If France did decide this hugely radical move, would the Carte de Séjour protect us?
In no legal way could the government even consider this move, and, all the retired Brits bring in so much pension money to the economy.
Our young men don't roam the streets bothering women and, generally, we are not a burden on the welfare system.
Would Spain deport all the retired living on the Costa Del UK?
Would the UK then retaliate and expel all continental Europeans?
Thanks Norman! I think I can look after myself pretty well. People like that tend to be pretty stupid, ill mannered and often very jealous of what they like to imagine is the wealth of the Brits. I do have many really lovely friends here, be they from Paris, other departments or indeed Finistere. I have noticed that the people who create trouble have often travelled very little, and are on the whole somewhat intellectually challenged and exceptionally ill read, possibly even illiterate (hence the agreement I referred to was not read or understood by the buffoon).
David, you certainly seem to have hit a bad spot! On the other hand apart from one singularly unpleasant farmer's wife here, we have been treated to nothing but friendliness. Maybe having a French wife has something to do with it, but as she is Parisienne who tend not to be that popular in this region, I don't think that is the case.
Down to 1.29 and I was going to do my budget on 1.25 to be cautious but I reckon until the referendum is out of the way the markets are going to be very, very nervous. London stocks down 3% today. The Trump situation is looking pretty alarming too! Pension incomes could drop by 15%, and those about to get pensions may be looking at much less too.
Yes Brian, the linguistic part was not too far from my mind. It also reminded me of the Kinnoch Clan of the Troughs (yes again I do recognise that they are Welsh), I am sure that they too have been a part of the antipathy to Europe from the Poms.
It can go either way. I was asked by our Maire to go with him to explain to an elderly British lady (80 plus and no French) that a local French man (who had no English) wanted to lay drains from his new house over her land to access the main drains. This on a Thursday evening. On the following day we went, all was explained and a simple one page agreement was drawn up signed and exchanged. On the Monday I happened to be passing the site and saw that the drains were already being installed, but not in accordance with the terms of the agreement and using a huge and totally unnecessary machine causing general havoc. The man driving the machine was the man who had built the new house (he had made a mistake about the level of his house this necessitating the new agreement). He said he knew nothing about the terms of the agreement. He became abusive. I should explain that I am a British trained architect with 45 years of post qualification experience at a high level and was often an expert witness in litigation and boundary disputes. I immediately went to the Mairie, but I knew the Maire was on holiday. His assistant is the uncle of the man who made the mess and many of those on the council are related. I said that the whole episode was a mockery, that an elderly lady had been taken advantage of, and that the work was not in accordance with either the agreement, French norms or indeed good practice. I was roundly abused. I have since been abused on Facebook and in the street by members of this man's family and been told that I should not involve myself in village affairs. In fact I have written to the Maire to tell him that I do not wish to be involved in future farces of this nature. Meanwhile the lady got someone from another village to help her and a new agreement has been drawn up. I have very many good friends in the village (have been here on an off for 44 years) but there is a hard core of mainly related people who really dislike the fact that there are etrangers here. The village school would certainly lose a teaching post in the school if the British left. Many businesses would do far worse and property prices which are falling anyway would plummet. I speak reasonable French and have done my best to integrate. It is difficult to integrate with people who start from an unintelligent and prejudiced position. In fact even yesterday a French lady stopped me in the street to tell me how much she liked me and my family and not to take notice of some people in the village who are not sympa! The girl friend of the tractor driver (who has four children by a variety of fathers two of which who have been taken off her) also abused me the day before she totalled her car in the village; let's say she has some problems with over indulgence of one sort or another. Her boyfriend before the last departed one hung himself in their chicken shed. Ah the joys of rural France!
UK health trusts have been farming out patients to France in order to shorten their waiting lists for donkey's years - they were already at it last century ;-)
As a member state of the Council of Europe a country is almost obliged to sign up to the ECHR (convention) thus recognise the court. Most countries have a bad track record of accepting judgements though. The UK version of its effects on human rights is disingenuous politicking. That is nothing new. It strikes me the UK wants to become a neo-North Korea by cutting itself off from everything, everybody and everywhere whilst expecting no change.
I think that's the big problem, no-one really knows! It took me a while, years ago, even with permanant address, CDI job contract in a french state lycée etc. - from what you say, others now seem to get them even though they don't meet any criteria...!
Ha, just paid the enormous fee for my UK EU passport too! I think, hope, it's all a storm in a teacup and people will be told the truth about the implications of pulling out. Or am I just dreaming...!
Not so very long ago, the European Court of Human Rights (reportedly) stopped Britain from deporting one of these radical Imams, not sure if it was old 'Hookie' but someone like him who was actually in prison if my memory serves me correctly. Apparently he claimed he had 'family' in the UK, which turned out to be his cat and as such the ECHR got his deportation blocked. Brian will tell me if this is correct or not, but it is certainly my recollection if the reports.
Now - and enter 'Baldrick'. If this is accepted as a principle to which France is a signatory - at least to the ECHR, we are home free - as France will be in contravention if they try to boot us out. I would think that ownership of a dog, goat or other quadruped would be sufficient to establsh the claim - but what about a duck or a budgerigar?
as ever there seem contradictions in all directions, as I know personally two people - neither of whom have ever worked here, do not make any tax returns but who got Carte Vitales with no problem - but they did have UK passports, so maybe things will change for them also. Which is another thing, I recently paid an indecent amount of money to get a UK European passport, what will happen to that? Will the UK automatically and without charge (I jest of course) issue me with a replacement gold-plated British one?
He of the fake suntan. Labour defected to ukip, left the kippers to from Veritas but then resigned the same year, about 10 years ago I seem to remember. His TV history is long forgotten, he got fired by the Beeb didn't he? Then the ITV one was cancelled after a couple of weeks after being rated the worst show ever on TV. He was chucked out of the European Parliament, mind you he was rated the worst MEP of all and his contact with his actual constituency almost zero. His son once publicly said he is a dick head and Nigel Farage (sic) said he is crackers. He must be broke because last year he put his €16,500,000 villa and vast estate in Spain on the market but no idea whether he sold or not because nobody has bothered to mention him since.
I take it criminals in politics inspired the question Norman, well let's add banker - at least, merchant banker in good London slang :-D
Why not? They buy up nice big houses, like to dine out at the best places and improve the economy no end. As long as the drug dealers and housebreakers stay away there is not much to worry about. Mind you, it wouldn't be that many anyway, too many of them are too busy working as bankers and politicians.
It doesn't look like it is designed to work that way. It is simply a way of dressing up a failing health service by using one that functions like a private clinic. People can already buy health services in France, so moving here without being actually in the system has no advantages. If anything it simply informs of yet another reason for not returning to the UK. If they are seriously considering going it alone then it almost strikes me that sooner of later the countries on the Channel and North Sea coast may eventually be taking in refugees from the UK forced out by hardship rather than war.
The first thing was news yesterday. Centre Hospitalier de Calais are bidding to provide services to take in patients from the South Kent Coast authority. Their Clinical Commissioning Group of the NHS announced it yesterday. On that scheme, people who choose to have treatment in France would need pay their own travel, expenses and incidental costs such as consultation charges. It would also appear that the NHS is using it as a 'litmus' test for further contracts.
The medical union, Unison, have said it is part of creeping privatisation that would be far more expensive than anticipated once the UK is possibly outside the UK.
The other point is already something that has been discussed and I believe you may well find an answer to that under Useful Links. Because I am in the French system I haven't really followed it.