Abstract (EN)

The British Invasion. Whatever next for the French ? With such a short distance separating French and British coasts, migration of the peoples of these two near-neighbours has been an established fact for many a century. Within two generations however, the numbers of British emigrating to France appear to have exploded. In this work the possible causes of such a growth are examined. Three factors are documented: the expansion of unity and standardization of the European Union, the freer movement of people across EU member states’ frontiers together with the recent innovation of the budget airline, and finally the house price differentials between France and UK. Consideration is then made as to the French position and reaction to such movements. What are the cultural consequences for the French people? To further an understanding of the processes, two theories are introduced: the ‘revolving door of Europe’ and ‘southern sun migration’. The first expounds that EU people movement is always to some extent multi-directional and not merely one-way traffic. The second develops the notion that the people of the Northern Hemisphere naturally gravitate southwards to more sunshine. But to what extent do the French themselves adhere to these concepts?