Chef Frank Raymond has lived in London for over two decades. A proud Frenchman says he will never return to his homeland. It’s believed that since Brexit, French winemakers have made this shift…but it has become deliberately more difficult for British companies.
“French wine is very difficult to import. But importing Spanish and Italian wines is not a problem at all. Who or what can do about it? Bureaucracy, nothing else …” – he said.
The Brexit experience is diverse – and not just for the French. But it is also a fact that many EU citizens have decided to leave the country. According to employment figures, the number of EU citizens who worked in the UK last year was 9% lower than it was before Brexit. Many believe the number is higher.
“They say the French population here in London is supposed to be larger than those of Strasbourg, Nantes and Bordeaux. But since Brexit, the French have been making anecdotes about how xenophobia is on the rise, and this is supported by the statistics,” said Luke Hanrahan.
According to the British government, the number of racial and religious hate crimes in England and Wales has risen by 15-25% since the referendum to leave the European Union.
“I’ll be honest, I’m happy to live in London, but since Brexit, I sometimes feel like they don’t really like me anymore. How do I think about going home? Sometimes yes, I have to say – in particular,” Karen Rianart said last year.
“The number one question everyone asks me about immigration is where I come from – racism can be felt in the UK. It has not been an issue in the past. However, the recent experience is that every time I meet a Brit, eventually the subject will come up and it is in my opinion Very sad “.
Virginie Hodelette complained: “When you want to come here as a Frenchman living outside the UK to gain work or study experience, you feel rejected because it is almost impossible to apply.”
According to an earlier summary from the French Consulate, the number of French people living in the UK was more than 300,000. In the past three years, according to official figures, their numbers have decreased by more than 40 thousand. These people chose to do better if they did not live in the UK.
