Issues likely if simpler procedures are not put into place, says campaign group<\/p>\n
\n An expired WA card may cause problems
\n Maridav\/Shutterstock\n <\/p>\n
Britons travelling at the end of the year could face issues if simpler procedures for Brexit card upgrades are not put in place, the co-chair of the British in Europe (BiE) campaign group has warned.<\/p>\n
It comes as some of the 42,000\u00a0five-year Withdrawal Agreement (WA) cards<\/a> issued in 2020-2021 to UK nationals who had been living in France less than five years are set to expire.\u00a0<\/p>\n And even where this is not yet the case (eg. cards issued in 2021), many holders now hope to upgrade them for 10-year \u2018permanent residency\u2019 cards, which is their right after five years living in France.<\/p>\n BiE\u2019s Jane Golding and Fiona Godfrey were in Brussels this summer, with the3million (representing EU citizens in the UK) to speak to the UK-EU committee on citizens\u2019 rights, a body set up to monitor respect of Withdrawal Agreement rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n They also met with the European Commission officials and with the European Parliament\u2019s foreign affairs chairman.<\/p>\n Ms Golding said: \u201cThe most important point we raised was about upgrades to permanent residency.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe pointed out that for initial applications, France had a very good centralised system but upgrades are decentralised and are dealt with by prefectures, which is not always clear to WA beneficiaries in France.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd there is still a problem of a lack of centrally-available information. We raised the fact that article 37 creates a continuing obligation to put out information and communicate about WA rights.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also raised problems with obtaining timely appointments at prefectures and we told them some people report difficulty upgrading before their current card expires.\u201d<\/p>\n Only limited help available for Brexit renewals<\/p>\n Limited information can be found on the Service public website<\/a>, but, so far, hopes of a new centralised online application process<\/a> have not materialised.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be great, but it remains vague for now,\u201d Ms Golding said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe service-public information is better than nothing, but firstly, people have to find it and secondly, there needs to be sensible information on their prefecture\u2019s site, which is often not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Some have information on renewals and in some cases their own online application process (eg. Calvados) while others have no information on the topic.<\/p>\n Another issue relates to travel: if a person has an expired WA card, or has only a r\u00e9c\u00e9piss\u00e9 to say they have applied to renew (also, usually, with a limited validity period), this may cause difficulties when the EU\u2019s new digital borders scheme, EES begins.<\/p>\n \u201cThey won\u2019t be able to travel with just a r\u00e9c\u00e9piss\u00e9 as the European Commission says people will need a biometric card,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing in the Schengen border guards\u2019 handbook to say they can accept other forms of proof.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, people will be able to hold on to existing cards until they have the new one, but if the card has expired, that\u2019s not helpful either.\u00a0<\/p>\n Perhaps they could travel with the card as well as a r\u00e9c\u00e9piss\u00e9. I will raise that with the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cWe also know loads of people across the EU will be upgrading just at the same time as EES is coming \u2013 and then Christmas and New Year will be here.<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be like the 2020-2021 when our BiE teams were all working flat-out to deal with issues [as the end of the Brexit transition period approached].\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSome people had big problems. It\u2019s a flashpoint for non-EU citizens travelling into and out of the Schengen area.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The worst situations were when people were coming home via another country of the EU, at big transit points like Amsterdam Schipol.\u201d<\/p>\n