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Survey reveals majority of Brit expats determined to stay put
| Published: | 10 May at 6 PM |
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As the UK digs itself ever deeper into the hole of a hard Brexit, a small survey by a financial services company has revealed a distinct lack of British expat enthusiasm for ever returning to the home country.
The survey, although clearly initiated for marketing purposes, stated that out of the small number of 808 expat respondents, 70 per cent said they had no intention of ever com9ng back to Britain, whilst 21 per cent said they might consider the possibility and just 10 per cent said they would return eventually. Another result garnered from the survey of expats in the USA, UAE, European member states, South Africa, Hong Kong and Australia stated that 23 per cent of respondents had moved overseas for work and the opportunity of furthering their careers.
However, the survey didn’t mention how those expats living in EU countries who’d said they would never return were planning for the strong possibility of another compulsory move after Brexit kicks in. At the present time, it’s estimated some five million Brits are domiciled elsewhere in the world, although an accurate figure is expected to be far higher as many don’t bother to register their residence in foreign countries. The hard fact is that around a million Brits are so disenchanted by their home country’s recent performance they’d rather stay away for the rest of their lives.
A positive interpretation of the survey results would indicate a seven-figure number of Brits living abroad are enjoying a fulfilling, rewarding life far superior than the existence they experienced in the UK. However, in the majority of favourite expat destinations, there’s often the risk of sudden, less than pleasant changes in their host country’s feelings about large numbers of foreign residents. The expat life, it seems, is doomed to be transient in the long term.
In the Gulf States, for example, rulers and parliaments are attempting to turn the tables on the luxury expat lifestyles of professionals working across the region, with Saudi Arabia’s Saudization measures leading the pack and Kuwait following fast behind. Retirees in Thailand are seeing a tightening up of already complicated visa rules since the military junta took over, leading many to consider moving elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and US expats in the southern half of the Americas are increasingly fearful of political unrest. For expats, 'forever' is often not under their sole control.
The survey, although clearly initiated for marketing purposes, stated that out of the small number of 808 expat respondents, 70 per cent said they had no intention of ever com9ng back to Britain, whilst 21 per cent said they might consider the possibility and just 10 per cent said they would return eventually. Another result garnered from the survey of expats in the USA, UAE, European member states, South Africa, Hong Kong and Australia stated that 23 per cent of respondents had moved overseas for work and the opportunity of furthering their careers.
However, the survey didn’t mention how those expats living in EU countries who’d said they would never return were planning for the strong possibility of another compulsory move after Brexit kicks in. At the present time, it’s estimated some five million Brits are domiciled elsewhere in the world, although an accurate figure is expected to be far higher as many don’t bother to register their residence in foreign countries. The hard fact is that around a million Brits are so disenchanted by their home country’s recent performance they’d rather stay away for the rest of their lives.
A positive interpretation of the survey results would indicate a seven-figure number of Brits living abroad are enjoying a fulfilling, rewarding life far superior than the existence they experienced in the UK. However, in the majority of favourite expat destinations, there’s often the risk of sudden, less than pleasant changes in their host country’s feelings about large numbers of foreign residents. The expat life, it seems, is doomed to be transient in the long term.
In the Gulf States, for example, rulers and parliaments are attempting to turn the tables on the luxury expat lifestyles of professionals working across the region, with Saudi Arabia’s Saudization measures leading the pack and Kuwait following fast behind. Retirees in Thailand are seeing a tightening up of already complicated visa rules since the military junta took over, leading many to consider moving elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and US expats in the southern half of the Americas are increasingly fearful of political unrest. For expats, 'forever' is often not under their sole control.
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