France blocks plan to abolish the 90-day visa rule for British expats

A French court has rejected attempts to extend the stay of British expats in the country without a visa for more than 90 days. The Constitutional Council of France today dismissed an amendment to the immigration bill that could have allowed for the automatic issuance of long-term visas for British citizens who own second homes in France, deeming it unconstitutional. This amendment would have given British property owners in France the opportunity to remain in the country for an indefinite period following the UK's exit from the EU. However, its rejection means that all UK citizens, including those who own homes in France, can only stay in the country for 90 days out of 180 without obtaining a visa. Those wishing to stay longer must apply for a temporary long-term visa for up to six months.

Moreover, there is no appeal against the decisions of the Constitutional Council, which makes them final. French Senator Martin Berte, representing the Savoie region in the Alps, proposed this amendment in November after receiving complaints from British second-home owners in her area. Last year, Ms. Berte expressed the opinion that restricting British citizens' rights to participate in the local economy of France would only exacerbate the already existing problem of increasing vacant properties in tourist areas.

The failure of the amendment is a serious blow for thousands of Britons, as the number of those wishing to buy property in France has doubled since discussions began on the "automatic" right to reside. Data from the British international real estate portal Kyero showed that in the three weeks following the amendment, the number of inquiries from Britons about French property increased by582%Jason Porter, director of the tax company Blevins Franks, noted that the immigration law provision for second home owners from the UK was doomed to fail from the start, as it did not provide equal rights for everyone and did not apply to other countries whose citizens have the opportunity to obtain a visa to enter France.

Moreover, both France and Spain are openly discussing the social and economic consequences of Brexit for their countries, arguing that immigration rules no longer allow British citizens with property in these countries to stay as often as they could before. The Constitutional Council has also declared dozens of strict immigration reforms unconstitutional, leading to chaos in the government of French President Emmanuel Macron.

On the weekend, around100,000Protesters took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with a bill that critics viewed as Macron's capitulation to the far-right.40%The articles that were fully or partially rejected were mostly amendments from the right party. Deputies from right and far-right parties immediately criticized the decision, calling for a revision of the constitution and a referendum. The leader of the Republican Party, Eric Ciotti, stated: "The Constitutional Council has censored the immigration law. They made decisions based on political grounds, not legal ones." The president of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, and Jordan Bardella insisted that the "only solution" is a public vote on immigration issues. Mathilde Panot from the left party "Unsubmissive France" described the results as "a huge humiliation" for Macron, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. "The Constitutional Council censors1/3"The articles of the law emphasize that national preference is incompatible with our Republic. Racism is not constitutional," she added.