More Britons consider move abroad.

[zesto]

With the large number of South Africans that move to the UK each year, these articles were very interesting & somewhat worrying(as a brit passport holder). For such a developed country its pretty interesting that they would be experiencing a brain drain similar to South Africa.

It seems the UK has quite a few similarities to SA: Their inability to keep their university graduates, large numbers of people emigrating, the high cost of living, people leaving for higher salaries (i always thought their salaries for skilled people were quite high?) and an increase in the crime rate, some of which is serious crime. Im wondering if the UK isn't going the same way SA is? Maybe just at a much slower rate. Surely they would control things for a while but would the UK end where SA is today in some aspects?

The Foreign Office has funded the IPPR's research. Minister Lord Triesman said that government needed to know not only where people have gone - but also what this tells us about how people migrate in a globalised world.

"It's clear that more British people are going to live abroad," said Lord Triesman.

The Foreign Office seems worried enough to fund research into this issue.

A bit worrying to me as i was hoping to move to either the UK or Aus within the next year...

More Britons consider move abroad

Q&A: Brits Abroad

 

[|tera|]

It's because all the South Africans go there that the crime has been rising so much!

 

[ajak]

POPULAR destinations

The most popular choices for emigration were Australia, Spain, Canada, New Zealand and the US.

 

[krycor]

I think its a case of the grass looking greener on the otherside tho when your currency is worth more than most, it looks ALOT greener
Also i think this is part of the new era maybe? I doubt this is just in the UK, where people have sufficient funds and able to communicate with other parts of the world but also have least amount of travel restrictions i think its more likely that they will emigrate.

 

[bwana]

I moved down here from the UK around the end of the 90's but things were different back then. People were hyped up with the promise of change etc.

Hindsight being 20/20 I doubt I'd make the same move again. It was also a major pain getting permanent residence here.

 

[kilo39]

You know the old english saying? All the good brits have left - leave the immigrants to do the work - while we go live in the sun. Nothing new. Maybe the numbers are greater due to increased wealth - and - if you're going to live in a foreign country (all the immigrants) - then may as well live in one of their own choice.

 

[dobbez]

BBC prime has had reality type shows with brits relocating to the locations ajak mentioned for some time
I'm not surprised

but more are migrating to uk not emigrating
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

compared to SA which has larger number emigrating
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.

source:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2112.html

 

[zesto]

BBC prime has had reality type shows with brits relocating to the locations ajak mentioned for some time
I'm not surprised

but more are migrating to uk not emigrating
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

compared to SA which has larger number emigrating
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.

source:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2112.html

Yeah i know i watch those shows on BBC prime sometimes but i thought those were isolated incidents, a couple of people here and there that want to move to spain etc for better weather. It came as a suprise to me that so many people want to leave the UK because of the reasons stated in the BBC News article.

Interesting stats from the cia.gov site, we have a serious problem with zim immigrants and our governments quiet diplomacy is not helping matters much.

 

[werner]

Yeah i know i watch those shows on BBC prime sometimes but i thought those were isolated incidents, a couple of people here and there that want to move to spain etc for better weather. It came as a suprise to me that so many people want to leave the UK because of the reasons stated in the BBC News article.

Interesting stats from the cia.gov site, we have a serious problem with zim immigrants and our governments quiet diplomacy is not helping matters much.

the logic is quite simple really...the strength of the pound.

an average 3 bedroom house is hovering around 250k pounds.
imagine my house is paid for, i am 50...
sell house, buy a house in spain, put 100k pounds into bank account = 10bazillion spanish whatever coins. never work again, ever, and live in the nice sun, at the beach, chilling out.

also, the price of housing here is so high that many brits buy a house abroad as ther first step onto the property ladder (the bank do give mortages and stuff for houses in spain and france)...then sell that house in 5 years time and buy house in england...wait till 50, leave. etc.
rinse, repeat

 

[zesto]

the logic is quite simple really...the strength of the pound.

an average 3 bedroom house is hovering around 250k pounds.
imagine my house is paid for, i am 50...
sell house, buy a house in spain, put 100k pounds into bank account = 10bazillion spanish whatever coins. never work again, ever, and live in the nice sun, at the beach, chilling out.

also, the price of housing here is so high that many brits buy a house abroad as ther first step onto the property ladder (the bank do give mortages and stuff for houses in spain and france)...then sell that house in 5 years time and buy house in england...wait till 50, leave. etc.
rinse, repeat

I was hoping you would post on this thread werner, i always enjoy your posts. Moving to the UK sounds very enticing when you put it the way you have!!!

 

[schitz011]

My family is British and I'm moving back there next year. For a lot of Brits moving overseas, be it Europe or further afield is very attractive, BUT, there are also a lot of stories of Brits moving OS and then discovering that they don't like it and moving back..

For youngsters, the US is a very attractive destination, the cost of living is low (compaired to the UK) housing is plentiful, and if you are in the position to do so, immegration via work is *relatively* easy.

From their POV moving OS has many benefits that we take for granted. Large homes for a fraction of the price they would be in the UK, especially when coupled with a stong £, sunny weather (lol), a change of scenery. However IMHO the biggest problem is that they assume that it's just the same as the UK in terms of the way things work and often the reality is somewhat different.

Picture if you will a family who take a holiday here in SA. They do all the tourist things - safari, CPT, eat out at fancy resturants and think it's cheap compaired to the UK, that sort of stuff... They don;t have to put up with.. Telkom, Eskom, Home Affairs, High living costs when earning Rands, Non-existant public transport, BEE, Violent crime being the norm. In essence the minute that IMHO spoil living here in SA. It's the day to day things that grind you down. Shop assistants no giving a damm (not that it's a lot better in the UK, but at least the old lady on the till at Tescos will call you love ) Stuff like that...

I've been back and forth btwn here and the UK the last 6 years (living, not holidays.. I'm still young and footloose ad fancy free as they say) and I'd have to say that there are problems with both countries, however the pros of living in the UK outweigh the cons of living here...