Why would French employ Brits?

AFTER reading Stephen Mole’s letter in December’s issue about the prejudice against foreign residents getting work in France I get the impression that UK citizens residing here expect it is their right to be able seek employment in this country.

That is even despite being less than fluent in their ability to speak and write French: why?

Have they all got such short memories and forgotten the headlines appearing periodically in the British press condemning foreigners coming to Britain and taking "our jobs"?

Bitter complaints about immigrants who are "only semi-literate" delivering our mail incorrectly, doctors not speaking proper English, even teachers "talking with funny accents teaching our kids".

I have read the headlines and heard all the comments.

We are very lucky that we are entitled to live in France because we are nationals of a member state of the European Union, but that does not give us the right to expect to find employment here.

France too has its problems with semiskilled and unskilled immigrants from its former colonies who need to find a legitimate way of earning money. This country is also suffering job shortages due to the recession.

Most of "us Brits" tend to live in rural areas; and rural poverty is rife. If you do not have a job, or enough land to live off where does your income come from?

Any employment is naturally kept for those who really need it and were born in the village or town. Either that, or we could become targets for resentment.

Personally I do not think that we should relocate to another country unless we are going to a job waiting for us, or are able to support ourselves.

My husband and I are not well off. We are pensioners, I receive a reduced state pension, my husband gets the full state pension, plus a pension from his employer (H.E. grade government service) toward which he contributed for 39 years.

We moved here in April 1993, and are now carefully managing our income for the second time - as we remember there was also a recession in 1993-95.

Caroline Tocknell
Tarn et Garonne