British families living in France need to prepare for changes to the EU border coming in autumn, the British Ambassador to France told The Connexion in a wide-ranging interview.
She sought to clarify the UK’s position on the rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES) expected in autumn but also touched on the D-Day commemorations, the Paris Olympics, and the working relationship between France and the UK’s new Labour government. She said it had so far been a gala year for UK-France relations.
In particular, the ambassador presented guidelines for UK residents of France with regards to the EES.
Dame Menna, who has served as ambassador since August 2021, said: “Readers should be aware that if you hold a valid residency permit as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, or you hold a second EU passport, you’ll be exempt from European Entry/Exit System registration, as long as you hold the correct documents [eg. a WA card].
“Secondly, people should make sure their under-18s have a document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM); their kids will need it. You can apply via the French service-public.fr.”
People who do not have this documentation risk being seen as non-EU visitors (not residents) to France, requiring them to be logged in the new EES digital borders system, which is intended to monitor non-EU travellers to the bloc and respect of the 90/180 days rule.
“We still expect it [to be introduced] sometime this autumn. We are hearing the date of October 6, but there is debate, which is not for me to comment on, in terms of whether that might end up going back a little bit.”
The start date is in the hands of the Commission and EU member states [Editor’s note:UK press suggested in July that a November date is likely].
Read more: UK updates official France webpage over new EU border control checks
Here are the ambassador’s responses to our questions:
On the travel guidelines under the EES
We understand the DCEM is now just a PDF with a QR code, no longer a plastic card, but official sites still say you need to collect it from the local prefecture.
Thank you for the feedback, we will check if the information is up to date [Editor’s note: the Interior Ministry has since confirmed that parent and child are still called in to collect it].
We hear automatic passport gates will be updated so visitors can use them on future visits to go through faster?
My understanding is certainly that on the second entry with EES it is a simpler process and the real challenge is around the first time you come through in the requirement to give facial and fingerprint biometrics.
We are working hard with France and the Commission to make it as smooth and accessible as possible, especially at the juxtaposed controls at Dover, St Pancras and the tunnel. We are pushing for adaptations. I am very engaged in this. I have been to the lab where they are testing all the equipment ready to go live. And we are continuing discussions on this so as to reduce the risk to border fluidity. That is a top priority for us.
We hope there may be some matching up of databases so the Parafe gates can tell if someone is a resident, and they can go through quickly without having to see a border guard?
Some things are still being worked through in terms of details, but we will keep our online guide [gov. uk/guidance/living-in-france] up to date. People should ensure they have their cards to prove their residency and WA rights and that they look into the DCEMs, as that could take a bit of time.
There are questions over an app intended to help…
When it arrives, it will allow British nationals coming to France to do some pre-registration before the border. I understand that it won’t necessarily be ready for roll-out but we are pushing for it to be ready as soon as possible because it should help manage some of the risk to border fluidity.
This is all happening because Schengen needs to tighten its external borders and when it is working well, it should actually make the borders more digital, improve the security of the Schengen area as a whole, and stop the need to do stamping that we are still seeing on British passports.
We are working very closely with France and the Commission to make sure that it is as smooth as is possible.
Read more: New European Entry/Exit System: 9 key things to know in advance
On the D-day Commemorations
The D-Day 80th anniversary was a key moment this year?
Yes, this year of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale is turning out to be brilliant in UK-France relations.
Before D-Day, we had a special changing of the guard ceremony, with the swapping of the Coldstream Guards with the Garde Républicaine, which showed the strength of the military and defence partnership and the trust between us.
D-Day was extraordinary. I was honoured to be at Vers-sur-Mer with the King and Queen and prime minister, as well as other dignitaries and representatives of our government.
It was all about the veterans, knowing that for many of them it would be the last time they would be at one of these big anniversaries. I will never forget seeing their reactions and involvement in those ceremonies and how moved they were.
Before D-Day, we heard that some people were struggling to come over due to limited hotel spaces: it seems the issues were resolved?
As far as I know, in the end, there were no serious impediments.
I did not hear complaints on the ground. We are so grateful to the partner organisations with whom we work to iron out any of those difficulties.
I am delighted we were able to ensure the veterans were well looked after, and they were treated magnificently by the French people they met.
The British Normandy Memorial [opened in 2021] will be a fantastic lasting memorial, which will endure for centuries in recognition of the role of our veterans in the liberation of France and of Europe.
The fact that all those names
are inscribed on that wall, and 20,000 French civilians who also lost their
lives, is a magnificent tribute.
Also the King and Queen opened a new Winston
Churchill Education Centre, which sits beside the memorial, which will be a
brilliant way to keep telling that story for everyone who visits that site in
the years and decades to come.
Read more: 'Live each day like it’s your last', says D-Day veteran from Normandy
On the Paris Olympic Games
The other big thing coming up now is the Olympics…
Yes, we are excited to welcome Team GB and Paralympics GB to Paris and France.
We have an amazing team representing the full diversity of the UK. It is going to be an amazing spectacle. And we have massive confidence in Team GB doing well.
Read more: Mick Jagger in Paris to meet UK Olympic hopefuls
Our priority is to work with France to ensure the games are as safe and secure as possible for all the people travelling to France, and the British nationals who will be at those big events.
Around 500,000 tickets have been sold in the UK so we are going to have a big operation to make sure we can support people.
We’ll have about 250 police loaned to France and some sniffer dogs, which will be coming with them to support the French effort. That is a brilliant example of UK-France cooperation.
People should read gov.uk/ foreign-travel-advice/france and sign up to get email updates and visit the official French websites for the latest information. They should keep valuables safe and ensure they have travel insurance and a valid passport.
Even if the start of the summer has been cool, Paris can get very hot in July and August, so make sure you keep hydrated too and bring some sun cream and a hat in case there is a canicule in the middle of the games.
Read more: What is now known about Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on Friday
On the future of UK-France relations
There is a new government in the UK. Does Labour seem interested in a closer relationship with Europe?
Economic growth is its priority, underpinned by strong security, secure borders, and economic stability.
We have a new foreign secretary, who has talked about ensuring there is a ‘reset’ with Europe. That is an opportunity for the UK to reconnect with key allies across the European continent, as well as with the European Commission.
The prime minister and President Macron had a very positive first call and we are setting up contacts between new UK ministers and their French counterparts.
The UK hosting the European political community at Blenheim Palace is a fantastic opportunity for our new prime minister to meet with leaders from across Europe, including President Macron.
So, we are off to a really good start and we look forward to working with France and other European partners on the ‘reset’. The government is interested in negotiating with the EU on security, and plant and animal health checks.
They have also talked about opening up mutual recognition agreements for professional qualifications, At the same time, they are not in favour of rejoining the single market or customs union or reintroducing freedom of movement. So, the parameters of what we will be working with are clear, but it is early days.
