French Company To Dump Brit Expat Employees Without Residency Permits

A France-based major employer of expats is demanding all its British staff produce the French carte de sejour residency certification within six months of the UK’s leaving the EU.

The order came after French lawmakers decided to allow British citizens a full year’s grace period in order to secure their futures in the country. The company concerned employs a large number of British expats in France, including many working from home or part-time, all of whom who’ve received an email ordering them to submit their residency permits within the allotted period of time. The notification has caused panic amongst staff members, many of whom are now unable to get their cartes de sejour as their local authority are no longer accepting applications.

Since the beginning of the year, many of France’s local authorities have refused to process residency permits as they prefer to wait until Brexit negotiations are finalised or the UK leaves without a deal. In addition, the issuance of residency permits still depends on guaranteed residency for French expats in the UK. Once the permits are being issued post-Brexit, UK expats with long-term residency cards will be able to convert them to the new version, but all other applicants will have to join a very long queue. According to the French government, an online application site is under construction, but isn’t as yet up and running.

When approached by English language media, the company replied that many Brits will already have cartes de sejour or have applied to become French nationals, adding it will continue to respect French law as it applies to ‘third country immigrants’ – a term it’s now using for its British employees in the event of a no-deal Brexit. One British worker pointed out the information from the British Embassy concerning the one-year grace period, but told the media the bosses weren’t interested in listening. She added the tone of the email was sickeningly abrupt, adding she has other sources of income but knows Britons who depend on the company for their entire income.