Brief remark about the "not handing originals of your official papers to the 'authorities'"....
I've never done that. When required, I get a photocopy "notarized" or rather "certifiée copie conforme" by the mairie, and so far I've never had problems with those "copies conformes" not being accepted.
Yep, let's keep things in perspective, rural or small town france is still a very safe place to live. can't comment on the uk coverage and what's going on there... cos I've got no idea, sorry ;-)
And Christopher, every other thing (and occasionally ever damned thing) Cameron says insults me too!
I was not saying they are increasing was I? I just noted that over the Christmas period there were clearly racially motivated and vengeance killings, plsu the much publicised Stephen Lawrence was coming to an end and those were getting top spot. Numbers is another thing altogether. I have lived in South America, then you're talking numbers. Also, so what if France has more, their reporting - if you watch French news - does not give them that prominence thus not giving the impression the country is some kind of bloodbath which it is not either.
Yep, look at all the revenge killings going on in Marseille at the moment but if you don't live in the quartier nord of Marseille it's not a big problem. cycled through there once after getting lost and I can safely say I've never pedalled so fast in my life to get out of there ;-O
>inevitable a meaningless murder will be reported<
They're saying today the murder rate has dropped to the extent that they will be reducing the number of police in murder squads.
It says here that France has a highr murder rate than UK (but both a low globally) http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/10/world-murder-rate-unodc#data
;-D
With you on this one Brian and Nigel, I don't read the anglophone presse so this thread is interesting for me to see the extent of people's received ideas of the situation. "The EU needs the UK", I think it's more the case of the UK needs the EU (60% of all UK exports are to other EU countries). As has already been said, it's a storm in a teacup and my opinion on naturalisation was just given a "coups de pouce" by the present "non" situation. - desparately want to be French, no, just have the same nationality as my OH and kids should anything ever happen, so I can vote in the country I live and work in (and will be buried in!) and, in a certain way, put the last piece of the integration jigsaw into place. Not everybody's choice - I fully accept that, we're all living very different lives here in France with very different goals ;-)
remember now....name , rank and number only
Lt Col Dai Broke
Chateau de la Penurie
Skintsville sur Notalot
Thank you Nigel, well said. I desperately prefer not be labelled with a nationality but to be a citizen of this world who is also proudly connected to his roots, but I guess very few people will buy that notion.
Thanks Roy, sorry it didn't work for you. I'm the only one in my family who isn't French - OH and kids are - which is the main reason for me wanting to apply. I'm well aware of what their like with documents - I had to chase, translate and advise the prefecture just for my driving licence and then insist I kept a whole load of classes, which I did but it took months and a full medical! I come across admin chaos a lot working within the university system here too - up to 6 months for them to pay my invoices at times!
Getting "new" originals sent from the UK seems to be the best way round the problem (see earlier in this thread) I've had a look and it isn't too expensive either + everything can be done via internet.
I'll update the thread as and whe I get round to doing the paperwork
à +
Ha bloody ha ha Richard - love it, I'll be watching closely and taking notes of all movements, knowing Sarkosy it'll probably get me extra points!!! ;-)
Hi folks. Back to the original Q. The chances of the UK leaving the EU are so small as to be not worth considering despite any rantings you may hear to the contrary from a largely zenaphobic british press. With over 50% of uk trade being done in the EU, you can safely ignore the various nutters who say it could happen. No government of any persuasion would even offer a referendum with such an option and despite strained relations between leaders, the EU needs the UK and knows it. So whilst leaders posture and say almost anything to appease their electorate or party members, I wouldn't worry about the form filling unless you desperately want to be French!
That's funny; we got all the original birth certificates back; when we submitted the application they asked us if we would like them back or not so I said 'yes' and it was written in the dossier; they were enclosed with the folder we got at the préfecture at the ceremony... (sorry I think I inserted this in the wrong place!!)
Can I join the Escape Committee please?? Not sure that a tunnel would necessarily be our best option, considering how long it took to build the current Tunnel - but perhaps we could use that as part of the plan!!
I think it is essential to keep a sense of humour about what is happening at the moment - and there isn't much any of us can do to change the outcome! So - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON seems like a reasonable way to face the future!
Can't somebody just assassinate this thread. It is going nowhere and reflects the hysteria stirred up by the Daily Mail and such purveyors of aboslute truths (sic). There are over 300,000 registered French in the UK, plus a large chunk and the reciprocal expulsions would dent their lamenting employment figures here further, so Sarko does not want them back and does Cameron want us? Get real, we're not making them richer, so we are flotsam in a sea of sorrow. Just forget it all and get on with life, nothing will change.
David,
Perhaps we should start an escape commitee, mind you don't tell Andrew, he might shop us to increase his chances of nationalisation >>>>>>>>>>>>>> only joking Andrew coz by the time you were nationalised David and I and a few other oldies would have tunnelled all the way home, but just in case >>>>>>>>>>>>> look under the fireplace.
I've been thinking about naturalisation for a long time, regardless of what the nutters back in the UK do about the EU. Just haven't got as far as downloading the forms yet! It's my new year project. You mentioned your pension - have you done any research on what, if anything, happens to your UK state pension? That was on my list of things to check.
I agree with you Richard. I'm retired but my wife isn't and is working here too. Our daughter was born here too and although British can claim French citizenship at 18. They'll have to take me out in a box! Mind you my step dad was in Stalag Luft III (after some French farmers gave him to the Gestapo) and gave me some tips, although I'm not sure that my advance years would assist my tunnelling capabilities. Beg an Fry (qv Google/Mitterand/Birkin) is not far from here either..............