The French Equivalent: ESRC-funded meeting 02 June Perigueux

The second of our two 'Brexit and Beyond' meetings took place 2 June at the Franco-British Camber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in Perigueux, France. Following a similar format to the Alicante event, Fiona and Jeremy introduced their research and raised some open-ended questions for discussion with the audience. This was followed by presentations from Roger Boaden of Expat Citizen Rights in EU (ECREU), John Shaw of Fair Deal for Expats, Brian Robinson representing Remain in France Together (RIFT), and Paul Fisher, Chair or Liberal Democrats in France. Participants in the event included Dominique Olley, Consul of the British Consulate, Bordeaux, and Pam, also of the Consulate, Britons resident in France, local French stakeholders, some academics from Limoges University, and Jane Hanks from Connexion newspaper. Many of those present in this afternoon session, also attended an event with the British Ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn in the morning. 

Discussions focused on citizenship status and rights (British, French, Irish and EU citizenships); the role and achievements of the different campaign groups, as well as British in Europe (the coalition of UK citizens and campaign groups in Europe); and the formalisation of The Liberal Democrats in France post 23 June referendum. Specific rights were discussed such as pensions and health care. One point that was made was the diversity of categories of 'British citizen' that exist, each containing different rights and relationships to the EU. In additional, British subjects (i.e. citizens of the Channel Islands) were also mentioned, indicating the diversity of categories of people that need to be considered, rather than bundled into one single 'British citizen' or 'resident in France' category.
In contrast with the  meeting in Spain, Britons attending this event in France were quick to express whether they would forego British citizenship in order to retain their rights as EU citizens. There was an overwhelming majority of hands raised in the audience to indicate that yes, they would.

The event was initially advertised by Connexion (an English language newspaper in France):
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Brexit/Meeting-to-focus-on-future-of-Britons-in-France 

(as well as via other online sites e.g. Angloinfo) and a first report of the event is available online:
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Make-sure-your-voices-are-heard-on-Brexit

The July issue of Connexion will feature a print report of the event.

This event was funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Scheme, and Jeremy and Fiona would like to express their thanks to the ESRC, as well as the FBCCI, the British Consulate France, the presenters and participants who attended what was considered to be a successful event.

Successful ESRC-funded meeting, Alicante, 26 April 2017

Jeremy MacClancy and Fiona Ferbrache organised a lively 'Brexit and beyond' debate late April in the University of Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Alicante province, Spain. Participants included Liz Bell, the British Vice-Consul, Alicante, and Hugo Griffin, a Consular Officer; and representatives from 3 campaign groups: Margaret Hales, ECREU; Zoe Adams Green, Bremain in Spain; James Simpson, EUROPATS; as well as members of the press, British residents, and a pair of Spanish sociologists. 

The main themes debated were: the nature and style of the Brexit campaigns; the aims and activist work done by the campaign groups since the referendum; the need for them to publicise their efforts more broadly; the emerging coalitions, Continent-wide, between different groups; a series of more pragmatic issues (rights of residency, access to health care services, guaranteeing of pension rights, aggregated pensions, etc.) The question was also raised whether British residents in Spain would be prepared to forego their British citizenship for the sake of securing the above rights. We also discussed who are the unregistered British residents in Spain, how many they might be (a majority of the UK resident population, some considered), and why they do not register. 

The meeting ended with lunch and a giant paella. The event was covered by Informacion (Alicantine newspaper) and Costa Blanca News (regional English-language newspaper); the Univerisy of Miguel Hernandez also released a video on the debate, interviewing both MacClancy and Ferbrache. This event and the next one, in the Dordogne, are funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Scheme. 

Our next meeting is on the early afternoon, Friday 2 June, 1.30pm onwards, at:

the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Dordogne

Pole Interconsulaire

295 Boulevard des Saveurs

24660 Coulounieix-Chamiers

(just south of Perigueux). 

Brilliant Brexit conference, University of Southampton, 31 March 2017

Ten days ago (31 March) I attended a brilliant workshop at the Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton: The legacy of Brexit: mobility and citizenship in times of uncertainty. A series of speakers, mainly sociologists, on their Brexit-framed research. Much of it was highly provisional; the research programmes of many of the speakers had only just commenced.

For me, high points included:

• Elizabeth Knott, London School of Economics, doing work on EU residents in the UK post-Brexit: 'For the first time here in this country, I felt like an immigrant'. Another person told her, 'I feel unwelcome and unwanted.'
• Susan Collard, University of Sussex, who ten years ago had interviewed British town-coucillors in rural southwest France. In those day, she said, no one was talking about 'citizenship'; they just wished to participate in local organizing activities. She stressed the difference in the attitudes expressed by activist Brits in that area today.
• Charlotte Galpin, University of Copenhagen (though moving to University of Birmingham in the autumn), spoke of her team's online surveys about people's fears. One sign of their concern was how many responded to their questionnaire: she had expected about 700; they got 1,700.
• Kuba Jablonowski, PhD candidate University of Exeter, excited everyone by describing  how he'd managed to join the inner circle of campaigning group the3million, even travelling with them in their car to Westminster, to present their position. In answer to a question whether he'd shifted from studying to activism,he replied that he gave advice when asked, but shied away from proffering ideas about strategy.

Another said how irritated some Brits abroad were with the label 'migrant, as they saw themselves as simply moving from one part of the EU to another. As one said, "Is an American who moves from New York to LA a migrant?"

Very much look forward to the polished, published versions,

Jeremy MacClancy