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Making the Move From Outside the EU
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 29/01/2008, 18:37
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Jura
Joined on 28/11/2005
Posts 761
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Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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Then PM that person my dear if you do not wish a forum answer. A life/future in France should not be based on the climate as you so clearly emphasise. South Africa has a brilliant climate, much like Australia, so I doubt that is why they wish to move here. And it does differ wherever you live here in France do not forget.
The fact is that native born South Africans have a hard time getting a visa to visit here let alone live here...I know this from various points of interest. This couple need to contact the French Embassy in either Durban, Cape Town or Johannesburg FIRST and go from there.
I wish them luck.
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29/01/2008, 21:52
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tegwini
 
Joined on 19/09/2007
Wiltshire & Vienne
Posts 188
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Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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Jura- I am aware of the PM facility.
Here is rural Wiltshire there are loads of SAfricans - mainly professional people - my dentist, & vet are South Africans, I know specialist medical consultants at the district hospital who qualified there, as well as many in business. A disproportionately high % of the top jobs in the City of London are held by South Africans. If they can make it here & acquire UK nationality they can then go to France if they choose to.
The original poster might or might not have these choices- who knows ? A visa is more difficult to get these days, but thousands managed for the rugby cup final in Paris, and the MIL has been given one even though she's nearly 83. Since she dislikes the cold she never stays after Autumn. I almost wonder why other Commonwealth countries eg Australia & Canada do not need a visa, white South Africans, many with French blood, have to have a visa, is it something to do with being in Africa? ...
Tegwini
ps this post is addressed to you Jura.
I think, therefore perhaps I am...
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30/01/2008, 19:25
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ernie
Joined on 05/08/2006
Posts 33
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Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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 Jura wrote: | |
...no one here in France lives behind barbed wire compounds as opposed to those living in Durban, Cape Town etc.
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Hi Jura,
I would be very interested to learn where these "barbed wire enclosures in Durban, Cape Town etc" are ? Are you quite sure about this ?
Just asking,
Cheers
ernie
(not ernieY)
(Not ernieY, BTW) who is a much nicer chap !!!
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30/01/2008, 23:39
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Sprogster
Joined on 23/08/2004
Var & C.I.
Posts 324
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![Geeked [geek]](/cs/emoticons/emotion-15.gif)
Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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Tegwini,
There is a report in several UK national papers today that may answer your question as to why South African passport holders need visas to visit Europe and other Commonwealth countries like Australia and Canada do not.
The UK home office are quoted as saying that consideration is being given to introducing the need for visas for South African visitors to the UK, as there is an increasing problem of illegal immigrants using South Africa as a gateway into the UK. Apparently, this is an increasing problem with thousands of illegal Indiam immigrants somehow obtaining South African passports to circumvent the visa requirement on Indian visitors to the UK, to travel to the UK through South Africa and then stay illegally.
So the problem does not seem to be be directed at Soth Africans as such, but reflects the fact that S.A does not allegedly have sufficient control over the issue of South African passports.
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31/01/2008, 0:53
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tegwini
Joined on 19/09/2007
Wiltshire & Vienne
Posts 188
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Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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Sprogster
Lots of changes in SA - I know, I have heard of illegal immigrants to SA from the rest of Africa - eg Nigeria (many of whom are involved in crime in SA), but I had not heard of Indians from India. SA has a large Indian population (Hindu & Moslem) brought there by the British 150 yrs ago, but hadn't heard of Indians from the Indian sub-continent going to SA.
It would be a shame if visas were needed for white SAfricans who have always travelled to the UK & beyond - and for that matter UK citizens who holiday in SA- or buy property there to have to worry about visas. SA 18yr olds used to have the rite of passage of travelling, often to the UK, after completing their Matriculation, and of course many have parents, grandparents etc who have UK ancestry even serving in the UK forces in both wars.
SA airmen flew in the Battle of Britain, and were part of the 'Great Escape', and of course Field Marshall Smuts was in the British War Cabinet and after WW1 was responsible for setting up the Smuts Commision which founded the RAF. They were volunteers, even for WWI when the British government & Army, only a few years before, had committed some very serious & tragic mistakes in the concentration camps in 1899-1901 where 40,000 innocent Afrikaner(Boer) women & children died. I know a man whose Grandma lost almost all her siblings & mother in one of these camps near Bloemfontein- those memories remain with him.
Doubtless PC and the need to be colourblind is forcing such changes. But, I hear of many places in Europe where there are 'open doors' to all kinds of illegal immigrants, most of whom have little chance of supporting themselves and fitting in- unlike South Africans who often do very well indeed.
One should note that UK/Europe is not the first choice of SAfricans leaving- that is Aus/NZ/USA - the UK and certainly France are well down the list!
Tegwini
I think, therefore perhaps I am...
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31/01/2008, 11:59
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ernie
Joined on 05/08/2006
Posts 33
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Re: Moving to France from South Africa
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Sprogster,
Many thanks for that, in fact, I misread the post, mea culpa.
Yes, OK, you are quite correct, many whites do live behind razor wire protection, I’ve been there and done that myself. For example, a friend lives in a remote district on his farm, where 11 farmers were murdered in about 2 years, one for a packet of cigarettes and a mobile phone, plus a couple of Rand. He has razor wire around the place and so would anyone else, no doubt.
But it’s not only whites who live like that, it’s all those who can afford the razor wire protection etc. This includes black people and people of mixed race (“Coloureds” in official SA terminology). I can assure you that all those in the black townships would love to have similar protection, as they don’t, they suffer proportionately more than other sections of SA society.
Of course the politicians also are well protected. The president and his ministers had a wall built around their quarters in Pretoria, at a cost of 9 000 000 Rands. Yes, 9M Rands.
The wall was imported from America (I wonder if they managed to get an import permit?)
The government has repeatedly denied a crime problem exists, they say it is merely a perception and, of course, blame everything on apartheid, such a useful piece of kit in the armoury.
SA is trying to cope with a power shortage (the mines were forced to close down at one point) and it’s all down to rank incompetence, indifference and corruption at the very high levels. That’s why the Chief Cop in SA is charged with many offences of corruption (he is also head of INTERPOL, I ask you).
That’s enough ERNIE
e
(Not ernieY, BTW) who is a much nicer chap !!!
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France Forum » Moving » Making the Move... » Moving to France from South Africa
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