BRITISH ENTREPRENEURS IN FRANCE. Anticipations and first consequences of Brexit

Since the Brexit vote, the French media report numerous expatriates' testimonies exercising an economic activity in France, who are worried about consequences of the exit of the EU on their business: increases of taxes, access to certain profession, institution of visas and resident's permits, obligation to pass tests, etc. We wished to know what was the economic and social situation of these expats entrepreneurs, how they deal with the Brexit, and if they began to get organised. Data collection was realized by interviews with ten experts (elected local, expatriates associations, real estate agent, chambers of commerce), then with a dozen British entrepreneurs in rural Nouvelle Aquitaine. Even if the legal consequences of Brexit are neither actual yet, nor even known, some actors began to anticipate, generating effects. Some French firms would begin to pre-empt possible legal problems, what penalizes (discriminates?) sometimes expats brits. Afraid that the deadlines for work permit become too long for brits freelancers, they look for suppliers in other countries. Some Brits job-seekers consider that certain employers hesitate to hire them, not knowing if they could keep them after 2019. The concerns are very important for Brits expats, but most of them not begin to act. They wait to know the new rules. The only observed actions are tries of juggling with nationalities: application for French citizenship (but very little have the required minimum income), envisage legal arrangements with some family Irish members… In general, we discovered often fragile economic and social situations. Many expats have no more the means to go back to GB, and their children have now their life in France. The Brexit could amplify their problems, until the precariousness for some of them.