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"Even the countries classified as red are not so isolated": the French in the United Kingdom exasperated by border restrictions

2022-01-12T14:47:15.548Z


FOCUS - The restrictions applied for a month at the Franco-British borders should be relaxed in the days to come. Cross-border workers evoke an “absurd” situation.


The end of an

“aberration”

?

France is preparing to relax

"in the next few days"

the restrictions applied for a month at the borders with the United Kingdom in order to fight against the spread of the Omicron variant, government spokesman Gabriel said on Wednesday (January 12th). Attal, promising that announcements will be made by the weekend.

Until now, it was necessary to justify

"a compelling reason"

to be able to enter the United Kingdom, and the return to France was accompanied, in addition to a negative PCR test, by an isolation measure of 48 hours in their arrival, including for vaccinated people.

Read also "All our students are educated in French and English": the keys to the success of the Lycée international de Londres Winston Churchill

Cross-border workers were also affected, making business travel almost impossible. These measures, put in place in December to combat the spread of the Omicron variant, provoked the ire of French residents in the United Kingdom. “

There are many people who live one foot in every country. For Christmas, these measures were a real heartbreak for families living on both sides of the border. The measures prohibit all trips for ordinary people, such as family reunification or tourism

, ”says Alexandre Holroyd, French MP for the United Kingdom. On January 5, business travel was added to the list of compelling reasons. But the 48-hour isolation in France remains to be respected.

Controls and isolation

“The controls showed no tolerance.

For Christmas, I took a train that dropped me off at Gare du Nord at 10:30 p.m.

I couldn't reach my family home in Picardy, so I spent the night at the hotel in Paris.

The same evening, the police knocked on my home to verify my isolation

, ”says Sophie Lantreibec, French resident in London.

“It’s absurd,

” she adds.

A vaccinated contact case does not need to isolate in France, while a traveler from the United Kingdom, vaccinated and tested, must isolate himself.

"

These measures were put in place when the Omicron variant was spreading very quickly in the United Kingdom, and remained rare in France. Today, it is circulating and these measures are no longer necessary

, ”continues Alexandre Holroyd.

“Our measures are even more restrictive than those which concern the so-called“ red ”countries

, storms Clara Durovray, returning from London to join her companion. Even if it means having to cheat. She presented an old school certificate from an English university to be able to join the country. “

My family is in France, and I'm supposed to come back every week to see them. With the isolation on arrival, this is no longer possible

, ”sighs Philippe. And Sophie Lantreibec concludes:

“We live very badly from unfair rules: on January 11, the United Kingdom recorded 171,659 cases per day, against 244,020 in France… For 87% of Omicron!

"

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-01-12

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