Brexit could have cataclysmic effect

During a round table discussion chaired by assembly president (speaker) Claude Bartolone, Myriam Benlolo-Carabot said that after Brexit Britons could be “foreigners like any other”. That would mean “they lose their special status and are subject to normal immigration rules,” she said.

Her remarks came as other speakers highlighted aspects of the impact on Britons, including the chairman of the British Community Committee of France, Christopher Chantrey, who passed on concerns shared by readers of The Connexion’s newspaper and social media, and Thomas Fatome, director of social security.

Prof Benlolo-Carabot said that international law rules on acquired rights cannot be relied on to help – so everything is left to be played for in the negotiations once article 50 is triggered.

“Those can take up to two years but can be prolonged if the European Council decides unanimously to do so, which is very likely because there are bound to be matters which, in my opinion, will require considerably longer than that to sort out,” she said.

The issue of reciprocity of rights – for Britons in the EU and EU citizens in Britain – was likely to be crucial, she said – especially if Britain favoured a ‘hard Brexit’.

“If we want to make sure Britons in the EU have favourable terms then the UK will have to make sure they don’t discriminate against EU citizens – and not just certain EU citizens as the UK government would prefer, but all of them,” she said.

Mr Chantrey told the hearing he was touched by the interest shown by the French parliament to the situation of Britons. “From the bottom of my heart I say ‘thank you France’.”

Britons’ biggest concern was their loss of EU citizenship, which might lead to a loss of rights, notably the freedom to live in other EU countries such as France.

He said expats’ concerns revolve around the same worries, including rights to live and work in France and set up businesses, healthcare, pensions, property ownership…

Mr Chantrey raised problems with issue of ‘permanent’ cartes de séjour to Britons by certain prefectures and the desirability of a fast-track to French citizenship.

The potential loss of S1 health forms for retirees was a particular worry for many expats, he said. “If they don’t have an S1 anymore and can’t afford private insurance they’ll be forced to go back to the UK.”

Mr Fatome, who said a close colleague reads The Connexion to help monitor expats’ concerns, said there are far more British retirees in France than French retirees in the UK – 64,000 compared to 9,000, and the health bills for the two countries for their expats are very disproportionate as a result.

“Without specific agreements on healthcare the system would end,” he said.

December’s edition of The Connexion will carry a full report and analysis of the issues raised.