The Gendarmes are Comming!!!

[Colandhelinfrance]

Why are the Gendarmes comming?

Has anyone had the experience of being visited out of the blue by their local Gendarmes?

Two of our friends who both live near to Ruffec have recently had a visit. They were asked all sorts of questions such as "Why did they come to live in France, and unbelievable comments such as " Oh what a nice house, I wish we had a house like this, me & my family are living in a one bedroom apartment (what)

One of our friends were left a note on their door, for them to go to the police station in Ruffec, and were (although nicely) grilled with questions such as, "have you been married before - haow many children have you - what is your mothers maiden name etc.

Anyone else heard of this?  

[Unknown]

No certainly not.  It must have been some kind of wind up.  The police were probably having bets on how many english they could intimidate.

I would certainly of complained.  Last year having only lived here for a few weeks, we had a late night visitor.  We were sleeping in our motorhome and just using the house for preparing food and washing up.  Whilst hubby and kids were in the house I was left tidying said motorhome and out of the blue a man was stood at the door.  He was friendly enough and looking for food.  I managed to persuade him I would need to speak with my hubby first and ran to the house.  Of course I did not know if he was friend or foe and was not willing to wait and find out.  Anyway, are you still awake?  Hubby asked him to leave, with a great big stick in his hand, just for decorative reasons you understand, and I called the police.  We were very scared.

They told me they would come in the morning, I said no come now, I was really scared.  And to this day, one year later they still haven't made an appearance.

So if the bl**dy boys in bleu called to see me, I would not be a happy bunny.

[chris pp]

In the Brit triangle (South Vienne, North Charente, East Deux Sevres) this type of thing is becoming commonplace, I've lost track of how many people this has happened to. Basically, and we need to be honest about this, there are a huge number of Brits in this region who are "winging it" to say the least. I'm certainly not going into details here in a public space, but the Gendarmes are more and more aware of it and I have been told by a couple of Gendarmes that I know that they are going to clamp down and dig around a bit, everything from not re registering a UK vehicle to working on the black while claiming child benefits, tax evasion and and and....

and a lot of local people are getting a bit pissed of as well.

Sorry, but that's how it is around here now.

Chris

 

[Tresco]

[quote user="chris pp"]

everything from not re registering a UK vehicle to working on the black while claiming child benefits, tax evasion and and and.... [/quote]

Um, I thought Child Benefit was a Universal Benefit - that is, if you have more than two children, you can claim it? Am I wrong in that?. Sorry if that's a deviation.

I've been fairly closely questioned by enough people about our financial circumstances to be fairly sure it will have got back to anyone round here who cares.

 

[Just Katie]

Well I find that absolutely appalling.  In fact it would incite a riot if our forces carried out such activities in UK areas with high immigrant population.

 

[Colandhelinfrance]

I agree Katie, I wonder if our Police go around asking these sort of questions to French nationals living in the UK!

The bit that gets me is that, most of the questions they ask, the system already has the answers. These friends live in France permantly.

Whaen asked why the question were being askes, the reply was "This is just a normal control.

[Gardian]

Apologies - rather off thread, but slightly relevent nonetheless.

Down to the airport and back today.  On the way down, Gendarmerie in the 'middle of knowhere' doing document checks at 11.00.

Radar check in a local village on the way back (though on an RN road).

They're very, very active just now.  I've no particular problem with it and it's a bit late for any high season holidaymakers to note, but just watch out.  Speed, docs, drink.  "Moderate", "have them", "don't" is the best advice. 

[Colandhelinfrance]

What happened to the layed back approach of the French ?

[chris pp]

You are of course right, Tresco, about child benefits, but it doesn't sit too well with local people who know that a British person is getting these benefits and working on the black, not putting a bit of cash in their pockets, simply not paying into the system at all. We regularly have the Gendarmes stopping British vehicles outside builders merchants now and checking if they are really doing up their own house or someone else's, often they will go with them to the property in question.

It is getting to be a problem around here and it was inevitable that the Brit community would come under scrutiny, it may only be a few percent but in an area like this where at times you could be forgiven for not being sure if you were in France, it's easy to see how the locals are getting a bit tetchy.

Chris

[Tresco]

[quote user="chris pp"]

You are of course right, Tresco, about child benefits, but it doesn't sit too well with local people who know that a British person is getting these benefits and working on the black, not putting a bit of cash in their pockets, simply not paying into the system at all. [/quote]

Ok, bear in mind I have no children here, so I suddenly had this doubt about the basis of entitlement.

I understand the connection in French peoples minds and all the points you made.

We have been grilled, not only about our own circumstances, but also about 'the news from The Dordogne...', but only by the neighbours.[:)]

[Colandhelinfrance]

I agree, they should be stopped, but these tactics are extremely severe, I will certainly be upset if I am followed after a trip to 3m back to my house, do they not require warrants If they have cause?

Also, I think that the French community benefits from the extremes of cash being ploughed into their economy, just look at the massive new Leclerc in Ruffec, for the French customers, I dont think so.

[Just Katie]

My great grandmother remembered the Black and Tans knocking their statues off the walls with their guns[Www]

I really am appalled by this treatment.  However, do they pop around houses regardless of nationality or is it only the brits?

[Tresco]

...do they pop around houses regardless of nationality or is it only the brits?

They will pop round to anyone who spends 20,000E at the builders place - especially if that someone has asked for it to be delivered to somewhere other than their home address.

I can't quote you Katie. You have broken something by changing your name.

[Just Katie]

[quote user="Tresco"]

I can't quote you Katie. You have broken something by changing your name.

[/quote]

What do you mean?  If it's good enough for Squiggle formerly known as Prince...........

It is for the good though isnt it?

[Tresco]

I mean, I can't quote you, like you have quoted me, above.

I have to cut and paste you. It's painful.[:D]

I definitely agree that 'Katie', or even 'Just Katie' is better. As you know I always cringed when people called you KKK.

I understood why, but eeeuucchh.

[Russethouse]

Katie, Don't you have 'stop and search' in places around you ? We do here.

[Just Katie]

I have just asked my 14 year old and she has never known it to happen to anyone she knows.  Neither have I.  You should all move to South Wales.  20 years behind, strong communities and cheap property prices[:)]

Come on quick, I wont mind if you all come over here and push our property prices up at all. You are all welcome.

 

[Chris Head]

We did that a few decades ago Katie and you lot suddenly dicovered a creative use for the match and a gallon of petrol!

We've had the flics visit too but I'm not bothered by it because we've got nothing to hide. I asked them at the time if it was a chasse au sorcieres and they laughed and said that anyone new moving into the commune is visited whatever their nationality.

Chris

[Tony F Dordogne]

It's also happening in the Dordogne - people we know with gite businesses are being visited and chatted to by the gendarmes nothing heavy but their visits often seem to folow visits by other officials when there appears to be infractions - like semi-legal bars, swimming pools not wholly appropriately fenced, that sort of thing.

In our area we have also had some gendarmes drafted in on a temporary basis to help with the traffic during the tourist period, for enforcement.

But to be honest, having had to work very closely with the G men and women over the past two months, I don't have any problem with them if they want to ask me questions - there are so many people round here ripping off the state (UK and French) by signing on and working on the black, saying they have no income and getting benefits when they have thriving little businesses and that sort of thing, if they catch a few of them, so much the better.  And as for the cars whizzing round here on UK plates, no CT, carte vert or tax disks displayed, if they get a few of those off the road also, so much the better. 

[Deimos]

Compared to what I have seen the British police do on occasions I think asking people some questions and giving them a hard time is nothing. For example, one night 23:00 in a small town I was walking down the street, quite a few people around and a police car comes speeding in, skids to a halt beside somebody, 4 officers jump out, beat the hell out of this guy leap back in their car and charge off (never even asking him a question - and his mates then carry him off) - compared to being asked a few questions. give me the questions option any day (and there are quite a few similar incidents I've witnessed in the UK)

Whenever the Gendarmes have called round to see me it's always light hearted (plus half of them are very attractive, probably having had to decide as to go into modelling or the gendarmes). However, I don't think their English is up to too many searching questions.

Ian

[Tony F Dordogne]

An afterthought - I wonder who it is that employs the UK people working on the black, signing and working, getting benefit and working, that sort of thing?

It's unlikely to be the French, more likely to be Brits who want work done quickly and cheaper than those artisans who are registered and paying their way with the state or who they can communicate with in English.  When Val2 and Katie's business are having to pay their way in France and the UK, can't see why we should apply different criteria here than we would have in the UK - or perhaps some people think that employing cowboys anywhere is ok, it's not just bad work that makes them cowboys, it's also the fact that they don't have the decennial, third party cover if something goes wrong and similar cover for the employer/client.

I'm not advocating dobbing people to the G men and women or the authorities - but if the various Brit communities stopped using those unregistered workers, it wouldn't do our overall reputation here any harm and would probably mean that those who are getting the legit businesses a bad name by association - one Brit is bad, therefore all are bad - would pack up and move off somewhere else.

[Missy]

>>>I wonder if our Police go around asking these sort of questions to French nationals living in the UK<<<

They may not do now but they did 30+years ago. I remember working at this particular hotel in Oxfordshire when I first arrived in UK and after a month I was called to the manager's office where 2 coppers were waiting!... What did I do?... Will I be deported?... All that it was a few days previously I had lost my handbag, it was found (minus money of course but all else intact) and they returned it. I was thankful for that but not for the grilling I had : Why are you here?... Do you pay taxes? rent? bills?... fortunately the hotel manager was able to produce all evidence that I was indeed here kosher...

What got up my nose I that on my passport a stamp as big as the palm of one's hand was inked with the mention 'Alien'!! Yup it did! and that everytime I changed my job and address I had to report to the nearest police station of the new address with again a grilling : Why are you in this country? are you self-supporting? etc...

Now, today, how many foreigners working in UK are asked to report this way and more to the point : comply?....

What I get now when going home to visit my folks, is double look from the customs officers at the port : British car, French passport, single person travelling, perfect english. 3 out of 5 occasions, of the 100's of cars to go through I will be singled out and searched!... I just get out, give them a big smile, and let them get on with it!... All they have found, so far, is welsh sheep muck... HAHAHA!

More seriously, if one's idea of life is to live abroad, wherever that may be, it makes an easy night sleep if duly complying to rules and regulations of the country and give a little in return in way of paying some kind of taxes to support the public services that will be used whilst the stay.

[Logan]

This practice is nothing new. Almost 24 years ago I moved to a house in the southern Dordogne. In a few short weeks the boys in blue came round asking the same questions posted here. I asked more questions of them and after a Pastis or three they happily went on their way. I did not think it was sinister. In fact I was happy the plods were taking an interest. I felt in the future if I had any problems they would respond effectively because we had developed a form of rapport. Why do you view a natural need of the Police to know who's living on 'their patch' as negative? It's just normal intelligence gathering. All law enforcement organisations do it. The difference in France it's donea little more personally. Everywhere else it's done covertly. There are no secrets anymore.

[pouyade]

The french police operate on a different basis to the British - they are for example caught up in the tax collection regime and empowered/expected to enforce rules such as the display of  builders' signs outside properties being worked on and other trading standards/environmental health type issues which fall to local councils in UK.

They are also supposed to keep a dossier on all foreigners, EU or otherwise, and to know who lives on their 'patch', particularly in rural areas. The FIOA does not appear to have an equivalent in France and I have not seen mine but am assured it exists. We get regular visits for tea (earl gey) and chats; they check our house regularly when we are  not there and have challenged a chap who was on our land in case he was not authorised (he was and they were most polite to him).

Wages of gendarmes are low and our local ones are not living in houses as large as our a maison secondaire, many still inhabit the police barracks at their base.

 

Pouyade

[Cassis]

[quote user="missyesbut"]

What I get now when going home to visit my folks, is double look from the customs officers at the port : British car, French passport, single person travelling, perfect english. 3 out of 5 occasions, of the 100's of cars to go through I will be singled out and searched!... I just get out, give them a big smile, and let them get on with it!... All they have found, so far, is welsh sheep muck... HAHAHA! [/quote]

Why are you taking Welsh sheep muck home to your parents, MYB? [:D]

Pouyade, any idea WHY you have to have these signs up outside your house when you're having work done?  I know it's the rule, but what's the point?  Anyone?  [8-)]

Also our local gendarmes (or police) are clearly not doing their job in keeping tabs on us foreigners as the only visit we have had from them was when we called them over an unexploded shell.