Brits Moving Abroad

[christhpc]

News Item on BBC this lunch and on BBC.co.uk. The presenter seemed to be suggesting that the weather was the main reason people were leaving! That and 'economic reasons' as an afterthought. Yeah, cheers for that The Sun level of journalism there BBC.

Overview here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_d...ts_abroad/html/

Check out the Q&A Issues section at the bottom for statistical analysis.

"So who emigrates? Many of those going appear to be young and highly skilled; the government estimated that four in 10 of those leaving in 2004 were in managerial or professional occupations.

"So what are the numbers? The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates at least 5.5m British citizens are living permanently overseas. almost one in 10 of British citizens."

The exodus begins:

"In 2005 alone, the UK saw 198,000 Britons leave for a new life. But only 91,000 others returned - a net loss of 107,000. Over the course of 40 years, those losses average out at 67,000 Britons every year."

"So why do people go? Clearly people don't go somewhere unless they have a really good reason for wanting to go. (i.e. not the weather )Of all the people the BBC has spoken to, most say that they seizing opportunities that may never have come their way again.

The contrary view is that people go because they think that the UK has gone to the dogs. Perhaps a useful way to assess these two arguments is to look at how migration figures relate to the economy."

Shame they didn't show any footage of people that'd said that on the news item.

I'll see you guys in Australia then? Last one to leave turn the light off cheers!

[dogbox]

Another exodus is underway, the British Muslim one.

Dubai is the new home for many.

As for white Brits there are those who claim they are 'fed up with high UK Taxes', then in the next breath they say 'we just lurv the hospitals in France' forgeting very high taxes fund them

Edited December 11, 2006 by dogbox

[Swamp_Beast]

Another exodus is underway, the British Muslim one.

Dubai is the new home for many.

As for white Brits there are those who claim they are 'fed up with high UK Taxes', then in the next breath they say 'we just lurv the hospitals in France' forgeting very high taxes fund them

Indeed. I often wonder why so many muslims stay here. Their families probably came to better themselves economically, but now places like Dubai exist, they can run a sucessful business and live in a place full of the oppressive moral standards a lot of them apparently so desire. And the weathers better.

[Bear Goggles]

As for white Brits there are those who claim they are 'fed up with high UK Taxes', then in the next breath they say 'we just lurv the hospitals in France' forgeting very high taxes fund them

Because many of them are retirees though so they don't have to pay for it anyway. Just live on your UK pension and let the French tax payer fund those great public services.

The boomers in France are leaving an even bleaker future for their kids than they are here.

C'est la vie

[Solvent Celt]

Indeed. I often wonder why so many muslims stay here. Their families probably came to better themselves economically, but now places like Dubai exist, they can run a sucessful business and live in a place full of the oppressive moral standards a lot of them apparently so desire. And the weathers better.

Because Dubai has sensible citizenship laws?

Citizenship

Is it possible to become a national of Dubai?

As a foreigner, you won’t be granted rights of citizenship in Dubai.

Dubai’s government is keen to protect the status quo and doesn’t want to compromise its cultural values or standard of living by allowing foreigners to become a permanent part of society. Your only route to becoming a naturalised citizen is by marriage to a national; even this, however, doesn’t guarantee citizenship, particularly for non-Muslims.

In exceptional circumstances only, a Dubai’s ruler might grant citizenship to a foreigner who has provided outstanding service to the state over a number of years. A generous employer might reward a loyal worker who has made a major contribution to the company over many years by providing him with a work and residence permit of indefinite duration. After your retirement, however, the employer would have to be a figure of considerable influence to maintain this gift and satisfy the labour authorities. In this case, you wouldn’t be a citizen, but merely be allowed to remain in the country indefinitely.

Children of foreigners born in Dubai don’t have rights of local citizenship and automatically assume the nationality of the parents. If one of the parents is a national of Dubai, the child will usually be granted local nationality and may later become a national of Dubai and obtain a local passport.

[whiterabbit]

Another exodus is underway, the British Muslim one.

Really, benefits good in Dubai then?

Seriously there are tons of professionals at my company trying to get relocated to the US and Aus right now and we must have 60 plus on a waiting list. Pretty much all are looking to relo for cheaper houses and better schools etc.

[IMD]

Pretty much why i'm off to Oz - me and t'wife want to start a family - both city professionals on above national average income - can't afford to raise kids and live in the city - so off to somewhere that's still possible.

With big hairy spiders. Erk.

[christhpc]

With big hairy spiders. Erk.

Yeah, I jokingly refered to 'bloody great scorpions in the dunny' to my Aussie mate the other day and he said in all seriousness, 'yeah, they're terrible'.

[Guest CrashTestDummy]

Pretty much why i'm off to Oz - me and t'wife want to start a family - both city professionals on above national average income - can't afford to raise kids and live in the city - so off to somewhere that's still possible.

With big hairy spiders. Erk.

This was discussed on BBC News 24. They interviewed a doctor who moved to Aus. He said he earns 20% more and works 48 hours per week, instead of the 70 he was working in the UK. Not to mention that he can buy a better house, in a better location for a fraction of the cost.

You'll be lucky if you ever see a big hairy spider . I don't why people think the country is crawling with these. I lived there until I was 22, and think we only ever encountered a big hairy spider once or twice - and that's on the East Coast!

Yeah, I jokingly refered to 'bloody great scorpions in the dunny' to my Aussie mate the other day and he said in all seriousness, 'yeah, they're terrible'.

Nope, never saw one of those either. Totally exaggerated IMO.

[Guest X-QUORK]

I don't know, but I've been told the grass is always greener on the other side.

[Jack Carter]

Because Dubai has sensible citizenship laws?

Where did you get that from???????

[BoomBoom]

Oh I doooooo so hope so!

Ohh you Islamophobe.

[Butthead]

I think the vitriol in the 'have your say' section speaks volumes. Post after post talking about immigration, failure of the justice system, lack of responsibility, bloated public sector etc etc.

[Solvent Celt]

Where did you get that from???????

Not sure what you're getting at?

I'd contend that if Muslims found it as hard to get citizenship here as it is in Dubai they'd be less likely to settle here.

[IMD]

I don't know, but I've been told the grass is always greener on the other side.

Indeed, but then I have lived in more places than Engerland.

Also, to quote the late Douglas Adams on Australia:

"Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land 'Oz', 'Godzone' (a verbal contraction of 'God's Own Country') and 'Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth'. The irritating thing about this is they may be right."

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A53650)

[MarkG]

As for white Brits there are those who claim they are 'fed up with high UK Taxes', then in the next breath they say 'we just lurv the hospitals in France' forgeting very high taxes fund them

It's not just the high taxes, it's the fact that _the French actually get decent services in return for those taxes_. Under NuLab we now pay high taxes, but get crap for it; in fact, it's worse, rather than spend the tax money on useful things, the government mostly spend it on harassing the middle class who pay the bloody taxes!

[Guest wrongmove]

"So why do people go? Clearly people don't go somewhere unless they have a really good reason for wanting to go. (i.e. not the weather

Well, I am professional, I am leaving UK asap (probably 5-10 years from now due to family commitments), I have just brought a property abroad to move into.

The main reason I am going? The weather.

I am only a sample of one, but to me and my quality of life as I want to live it, the weather is a very important reason.

[Guest d23]

Indeed, but then I have lived in more places than Engerland.

Also, to quote the late Douglas Adams on Australia:

"Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land 'Oz', 'Godzone' (a verbal contraction of 'God's Own Country') and 'Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth'. The irritating thing about this is they may be right."

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A53650)

It's all subjective I guess, I've lived in Australia and found it dull, bland, parochial, culturally starved and quite literally in the middle of nowhere (travelling / going on holiday anywhere other than Oz is a bit of a major mission) As well as 'Godzone' they also have a phrase ' The tyranny of Distance' referring to their geographical isolation.

Both myself and my Australian wife are more than happy to be here in the UK as are her australian friends who live here and are pretty much unanimously gutted at the prospect of going back.

btw Douglas Adams never lived in Oz and made the (imo) very unwise decision to live in California........

Edited December 13, 2006 by d23

[Nick..]

One day all that will be left in the UK will be BTL landlords renting houses to Poles, and the last of the boomers selling houses to each other at £2million, wihtout an actual penny changing hands

Except to the legion of Estate Agents and Solicitors

[Guest d23]

Well, I am professional, I am leaving UK asap (probably 5-10 years from now due to family commitments), I have just brought a property abroad to move into.

The main reason I am going? The weather.

I am only a sample of one, but to me and my quality of life as I want to live it, the weather is a very important reason.

agreed

the weather is something that weighs heavily on my mind (this time of the year especially!) and is something that would encourage me to emigrate...........

[Als]

News Item on BBC this lunch and on BBC.co.uk. The presenter seemed to be suggesting that the weather was the main reason people were leaving! That and 'economic reasons' as an afterthought.

The blindness of some sections of the BBC never ceases to astound me. It's as if any fact which contradicts the 'feel good factor' has to be ignored. One of the presenters on one of these BBC programs said that 'Brits were going abroad to seize oppurtunities' and that the rest of the UK was becomming an 'international hub'.

[Als]

agreed

the weather is something that weighs heavily on my mind (this time of the year especially!) and is something that would encourage me to emigrate...........

I doubt that the weather accounts for record numbers of people emigrating this year. Seeing as this might well prove to be the warmest winter on record.

[bob monkhouse]

Yup. Soon as im chartered im moving abroad.

[BrickingIt]

Yup. Soon as im chartered im moving abroad.

get chartered its easy.

[Orbital]

It's not just the high taxes, it's the fact that _the French actually get decent services in return for those taxes_. Under NuLab we now pay high taxes, but get crap for it; in fact, it's worse, rather than spend the tax money on useful things, the government mostly spend it on harassing the middle class who pay the bloody taxes!

really? The french side of my family paints a very different story. But what would they know they only live there .

I liked the story I was told a while back, one of my family went to get an injection (medical related, not just a travel jab), first off they had to go purchase it themselves from the chemist, then bring it back, the doc gave them a needle and they had to administer it themselves - what exactly do you get for your money lol? That and you do actually have to pay to see ya GP up front - this helps get rid of all the time wasters, people dont go if they just have a cold or a bruised knee! I dont know the rules, but I understand you can then claim a % of that money back depending on the circumstances - there is no free healthcare over there...

Seriously, everywhere has its problems, even Australia. And they do have winter too! I think most Brits are miserable becuase its part of the national make up and they dont know how to act differently. I really think this is true becuase my experience of UK life is pretty good, I just dont see all of these problems that others talk about - and I hate hot weather too!! Oh well, there's still time for me to become as cynical and miserable as everyone else...

Ive never found aussies much fun to be around, maybe some of you are confused with NZ! But its a great example, yeah most aussies are full of positivity as pointed out in the Adams quote. Is aus a eutopian society? Of course not, they just know how to appreciate life, we dont. Life is tough wherever you live, moving round the world wont change that...

Edited December 13, 2006 by Orbital