SWNS Nazir Wilks has lived and worked in France since 2012

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Nazir Wilks, 31, had lived and worked in France since 2012, but after the Brexit vote, was left unable to find work - because French employers stopped hiring Britons. He grew up in Britain, but moved to Montpelier with girlfriend Marie in 2012 before she gave birth to son Quentin, now aged two-and-a-half. The restaurant worker undertook a forklift truck driving course, but when he returned to his old boss in July - weeks after the vote - he was turned away and told to go back home.

He claims his former employer told him that they would never hire British workers again because of Brexit, and that he should go back home. Mr Wilks was forced to use his savings to pay for a flight home for him and his young son, and is now couch-surfing with friends and family in Woolwich, south east London, where he lived for 12 years. Mr Wilks said: "I moved to France with Marie in March 2012, because she wanted to be with her friends and family.

SWNS But after the Brexit vote he was told no French employers would hire Britons

"I'd always done seasonal work in restaurants, but took a year out to do a forklift truck driving course.

No one wants to hire British people now, and most of them think we've left the EU already Nazir Wilks

"But then all this talk about Brexit came along, and after the vote, everyone in France's view on British people completely changed. "No one wants to hire British people now, and most of them think we've left the EU already. "It's going to be really costly for them to hire British people, so I just couldn't get any work at all.

"Marie and I split up because of personal reasons and she can't look after Quentin, so I was on my own with him. "The French government were helping me until December with €200 a month child support, but then they cut me off completely and I've been forced to come home." The pair landed back in Britain on Christmas Eve, and have been homeless since, because the government will not give them any sort of benefits until they have been here for three months. They have been staying with relatives, but have now run out of places to go - and are facing life on the streets if help does not come soon.

SWNS He claims his former employer told him to go home to Britain

Mr Wilks added: "Me and my son can't live like this for much longer. "The council said I can't get a home until I get income support, but I need to pass a habitual residency test for that - which I can't do, because I've been out the country for three years. "Last week, they told me that I've failed it again. "This test is for people who have been away and they need to determine whether I'm going to stay, but I have nowhere else to go. "I want to settle in Woolwich - my siblings and friends are here, it's where I went to school - but they won't help me.

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"I can't believe it, and neither can anyone else. "People can't keep letting us stay, and I was lucky last night that I bumped into someone I knew. "But today, I've been ringing around and I don't know where I can stay." The council have allegedly told Mr Wilks that they cannot help him because he has a child, and so can't stay in a homeless shelter. He says Social Services told him that they cannot provide housing, and that they "didn't understand that I have nowhere to go".

SWNS Mr Wilks and his young son is now couch-surfing with friends and family in Woolwich