I dont think the British State promotes expatriation anymore.
For all I know of the english language, the right term would be Immigrants if leaving Britian with the intent to permanently reside in another country
Or Migrant if moving out of Britain for the sole purpose of better living conditions and/or employment conditions, but not permanently.
Unless one is forced to go abroad by his native State, or there is a third party, i.e. one’s company, asking one to move abroad and footing all the costs, or else face dismissal, one cannot be an expat as one has not been expatriated.
The fellas living in France must know the origin of “expatriation”, by the french word expatrier (to banish, to deport, to expluse, to expel, to drive out in a violent manner)