This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/17/france-says-britons-could-need-visa-to-visit-after-no-deal-brexit

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
France says Britons could need visa to visit after no-deal Brexit Germany and France start to draw up no-deal Brexit contingency plans
(about 2 hours later)
The French government has said a no-deal Brexit would leave Britons needing visas to visit France and put UK nationals already living there in an “irregular” legal situation. Germany and France are starting to step up their preparations for a no-deal Brexit even though both publicly insist an agreement with the UK over its the terms of its departure from the European Union can still be achieved.
It has published a draft bill aimed at addressing the consequences of the UK crashing out of the EU without any agreement. British citizens living in France would immediately become “third-country nationals”, preventing them from holding certain jobs and limiting access to healthcare and welfare, and passenger travel and freight movements across the Channel would be delayed. Angela Merkel revealed in Berlin for the first time on Wednesday that Germany was drawing up contingency plans, saying the government had started making “suitable preparations” for the possibility of Britain leaving with no accord.
The bill outlines seven areas of concern covering Britons’ right to visit, live and work in France. It gives the French government power to introduce new legal measures where necessary by emergency decree, as opposed to parliamentary vote, within 12 months of the law being passed. While there was there was still a chance for a deal, it was “only fitting as a responsible and forward-thinking government leadership that we prepare for every scenario”, the German chancellor told MPs. “That includes the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement.”
It does not detail exactly how France intends to address the consequences of a hard Brexit, but says any measures are likely to depend on reciprocal agreements with the UK government. France has published a draft bill that would allow the government to introduce new legal measures to avoid or mitigate the consequences of a hard Brexit by emergency decree, as opposed to parliamentary vote, within 12 months of the law being passed.
“The government is very aware of the situation and rights of French citizens settled in the UK,” the draft bill states. “The government will take appropriate measures regarding the situation of UK citizens in France. It will take account of the status the UK gives our citizens on its territory.” It said those consequences woulds include include Britons needing visas to visit and UK nationals living in the country being in an “irregular” legal situation.
Britain is scheduled to leave the EU at 11pm UK time on 29 March 2019. Any failure to reach an exit deal would leave Britons living in the remaining 27 EU nations and around 3 million EU citizens living in the UK facing an uncertain future. Without emergency measures, British citizens living in France would become third-country nationals, the draft bill said, preventing them from holding jobs restricted to EU nationals and limiting their access to healthcare and welfare. Passenger travel and freight movements across the Channel would also be delayed.
“In the event of a withdrawal without agreement, British citizens and their family members who until now had the right to free movement and free settlement in the whole European Union become third-country citizens and will as a consequence be subject, in principle, to common law. That is to say, obliged to present a visa to enter French territory and to hold a residence permit to remain there,” the proposed bill says. They would be “obliged to present a visa to enter French territory and to hold a residence permit to remain there”, the bill’s preamble says. A no-deal Brexit would also mean “British citizens with a work contract under French law with a French employer could be asked for a document authorising them to work in France”.
“In case of a withdrawal without agreement, British citizens with a work contract under French law with a French employer could be asked for a document authorising them to work in France, as the regulations under the code du travail [labour law] require when employing foreigners.” Merkel detailed a similar list of concerns. A no-deal Brexit, she said, would bring with it “a whole array of questions, such as: how, the day after Brexit, do we manage the estimated 100,000 British citizens who, in some cases, have been living in Germany for years?”
It points out that certain professions, including doctor, pharmacist, tobacconist and jobs in public services, are mostly restricted to French and EU/EEC nationals. The German chancellor added: “How do we deal, for example, with teachers of British citizenship, who are classed as German civil servants? How do we appropriately prepare our authorities for the added burdens to do with customs issues?”
French Channel ports as well as passenger and freight transporters are already planning for a no-deal Brexit, which the bill says would result in “the reinstating of formalities/controls on goods and passengers to and from the UK”. The chancellor said her government was equally concerned about the thousands of German citizens living in the UK, as well as German businesses operating there, and how they could be prevented “from facing any disadvantages”.
Last week Thierry Grumiaux, of the National Federation of Road Transporters, said a delay of two minutes per vehicle for extra customs checks would led to 16-mile (27km) tailbacks on roads around major French ports. Local officials say up to €30m (£26m) investment would be needed to make French ports ready for a hard Brexit. France’s draft bill, first published earlier this month, acknowledges it is “not possible to anticipate” what that outcome of the Brexit negotiations will be, adding that for the time being, the talks between Theresa May’s government and the EU27 are clearly the top priority.
France But it says any emergency legal steps the government may eventually decide to take under the bill – for example to guarantee the rights of British citizens living in France – would depend on the UK adopting reciprocal measures.
“The government is very aware of the situation and rights of French citizens settled in the UK,” the bill states. “The government will take appropriate measures regarding the situation of UK citizens in France. It will take account of the status the UK gives our citizens on its territory.”
Merkel said the negotiations with Britain had been intense but had demonstrated goodwill on both sides, despite what she called the “unfortunate” lack of breakthrough over the Irish border question.
But she added that it had to be clear to all sides that once out of the EU, Britain could not expect to have the same rights as EU members. “There always needs to be, and there will be, a difference between having membership of the European Union and a partnership with the EU as a third party,” Merkel said.
French Channel ports, as well as passenger and freight transporters, are already planning for a no-deal Brexit, which France’s draft bill said would result in “the reinstating of formalities/controls on goods and passengers to and from the UK”.
Last week Thierry Grumiaux, of the National Federation of Road Transporters, said a delay of two minutes per vehicle for extra customs checks would lead to 16-mile (27km) tailbacks on roads around major French ports. Officials say up to €30m (£26m) investment would be needed to make French ports ready for a hard Brexit.
BrexitBrexit
France
European UnionEuropean Union
EuropeEurope
Foreign policyForeign policy
Germany
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content