Hilary Jane the largest number of EU migrants come from the Irish Republic who have had a historical right to live and work in UK since independence.
Because they speak English they are not so noticeable as those from other EU countries, but they are the largest sector nevertheless. I can't remember hearing anything about there being a problem with Irish immigration, so I can only come to the conclusion that it is immigration from Eastern Europe that is objected to.
Like the 37 per cent who voted Leave!
We have decided to obtain a Carte de Sejour permenant to hopefully avoid such a situation.
I'd be interested to know what your service étrangers at your préfecture say, Jane, mine (Tarn) have stopped processing any applications from Brits until the Brexit situation is clear. I was told that the dicision has been taken at ministerial level and so should be national but we all know what that means in France!
Andrew, I too have heard that some Prefectures are taking this point of view. In the Connexion newspaper it gives directons to the correct regulations in the article Permanent residence cards are a Right, page 24.
But after Brexit you will need a carte de séjour for non-EU citizens, and you can't apply for that until you are a non-EU citizen. Even if you can you apply now, as an EU citizen, you will get a carte de séjour UE, which won't be much use when you are no longer UE. The card itself doesn't actually give the holder any rights, it simply confirms the rights the holder has, and if the holder's status changes and their rights change, so the card will no longer be valid. Permanent doesn't mean permanent come what may, it just means there is no fixed period of validity and no fixed expiry date, as compared to carte de séjours for non EU citizens which I believe are always issued for a fixed period of time, after which you have to reapply. But for instance if the holder of a "permanent" cds committed a crime or infringed the conditions in some other way, they would forfeit their right to live here. That's how I see it at any rate, so I'm not even going to bother applying yet.
Thanks for that, Jane. I had a long chat with the responable at the service étranger at my préfecture. They simply won't process the dossier of any Brits applying and the situation will only change once the brexit is sorted. I can more than understand their viewpoint and that of the ministry - why would anyone give a 10 year european card to anyone of a nationality that has just voted to leave the eu and who, if all goes to plan, will no longer be a european citizen in 2 years time at which point we'll have to apply for carte de séjours permanente non EU or the EU version if the necessary accords are put in place as is the case of Switzerland.
last point - whether the connexion says it's a right or not isn't worth the paper it's printed on if the local préfecture refuse to process the dossier, this is France after all...! :-(
John, I disagree. I think she will be welcome in Germany. Germany is welcoming of refugees so it will welcome fellow Europeans. Compared to France, she might find the bureaucracy both infuriating and refreshing :-)
Of course you're right Howard but since she will be an economic migrant (due to the UK's impending fiscal collapse) rather than a refugee she might be refused (I read somewhere that Gemany is refusing 40 % of applications but doesn't know where to send the 40% back to). She could always try Poland I suppose.
Andrew, the thinking is that if you already hold Carte de Sejour permanent it will make it easier to obtain one should Brexit occur.
If you can take a copy of the correct regulation with you to the Prefecture, it will prove more difficult to refuse.
Jane, in theory that's great but in practice it just isn't going to happen - I spoke to my préfecture last week and got a very firm "Non" with the reasons why, whic are quite understandable ;-)
Jane, I think the era of objecting to Irish and West Indian people was really the sixties, the time of "No Irish, No Blacks" clauses in ads for rented accommodation. Now it seems to be Polish and Eastern European folk. I think the main object now, as then, is that they work harder than the indigenous complainers and are "taking their jobs" :-)
That's it Hilary, irrepressible optimisim is the only protection from this ongoing debacle. :-) Those shacks on stilts might just increase in value though, if Trump gets in and sensible folk head for the wilds. Have you seen the movie Deliverance? I suppose Mexico is always another option.
Andrew, reasons are not regulations. If you remember I went through a very long process which ended up with inter governmental discussions at quarterly EU meetings for two years before the French eventually admitted that they did not understand the regulations.
No apology of course.
My point is Hilary that while change is inevitable, sometimes the rate of change can be shocking. A sort of unseen momentum builds up. I remember, professionally, always wondering why large projects would go from being on track to being six months behind overnight. In other words it's not a matter of worrying about the future, it's a matter of being as prepared as possible for it, IMO.
John, the Irish were included in the figures which were quoted as one of the reasons for change in immigration.
Interesting Jane. I belive Irish people are the largest "non national" cohort working in the City so their moves to Paris, Frankfurt or Dublin when their employers Brexit the City should help the numbers :-)
whether the connexion says it's a right or not isn't worth the paper it's printed on
Exactly Andrew and they have been known many times before to get things horribly wrong...
You might be better off getting info off 'Fred and his missus' down the local English bar than rely on The Connexion
Interesting tale of a British couple that after ninteen years in France moved to Skibbereen, and love it. They don't seem to realise that Ireland is in the EU.
http://www.irishtimes.com/it-sunday/british-expats-in-ireland-you-can-t-be-a-stuck-up-brit-1.2739028?utm_source=it-sunday-digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digests
From the article John lists - Fiona: "We’re in Cork because we wanted to be in a country where people spoke English"
That's such a shame IMHO.
There is clear evidence that learning a foreign language in retirement keeps your mind active and enforcing that discipline by living in a place where English is not the first language helps keep the mind focused.