Free Alex Casey!

I am a New Zealander working as a Ski Instructor in Switzerland. What people are not realising here is that under EU law, a person with a European Qualification, MUST by law be able to be recognised as having a qualification. If he has a BASI Qualification the French, MUST, by law recognise this. That they are choosing to add an extra for non French citizens is actually illegal and is the subject of much discussion at present, not only in skiing, but in other fields. Even Switzerland, although not an EU country, has signed up to this.

On this evening's SE News the point was made that if he was French working for a French ski school, with the qualifications he has he would not be arrested. It's protectionism plain and simple.

In the long run, the French ski industry will suffer more than it gains. Ski companies wanting to offer domaine familiarisation to clients will go to to oher countries. It's just not good publicity generally.

This has been going on for years. Neither Alex Casey nor his employer Simon Butler appear to have the qualifications (BASI Level 4 ISTD plus European speed test) required to allow them to work as ski instructors outside a recognised ski school in France. Simon Butler has been prosecuted 3 times, in the latest case he received a 3 month suspended prison sentence, it looks like Alex is facing the same http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22029309

If Alex was a stagiaire in a French ski school I think he would have 4 years to complete his training after that he would have had to either pack it in or start again from the beginning.

All the alpine countries have quite strict laws governing ski instruction e.g. if someone is caught working illegally in Italy they are prosecuted under the law that is used for people caught practicing medicine without a license. There is an outline of the rules and regulations governing the employment of ski instructors in various countries on the BASI website http://www.basi.org.uk/content/countries-rules--regulations-for-employment.aspx

"He has no more right to opt out law then I do to break speed limit, avoid tax, litter etc. "

People break the speed limit all the time, avoiding tax is perfectly legal and littering? Well I'm sure we all do that at some point but none of us get dragged off in cuffs and thrown in a cell.

Even if he has broken the law, it is perfectly legitimate for people to question the law.

Is the law correct?
Is it being fairly and evenly applied?

I think most people would agree that on this last point being a British ski instructor, rather than French, is a clear disadvantage to employment. Being in breach of the law, the French are not as harshly punished either.