UKC

What makes people emigrate from the UK?

I've often thought about it, but got no real plans at the moment. I'm interested in people's motivations. So to those who have left these fair shores for a decent stretch what made you do it?

New job?
Tried to make it in hollywood?
Idealistic dream following travelling when younger?
Lost passport on holiday, decided to stay?
Retirement in the sun?
Fed up with the UK?
Love?

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Brexit?

In reply to Jon Stewart:

That hasn't happened yet (despite what many gloating brexiters seem to think)!

It's certainly a reason to think about it!

In reply to balmybaldwin:


Job to start with, stayed longer than planed due to love & may well stay permanently due to love & Brexit

In reply to balmybaldwin:
I came out of the forces, went to uni etc, qualified as something then after a couple of years went to live in Canada but I came home due to missing mates, decent beer, Scotland, climbing scene and found it a bit dull over there to be honest....It may be as I was in Ontario and not anywhere especially interesting!

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Not me, but three I know: one for a new start and different way of life following a divorce he went to Thailand mainly for the climbing, and then married local lady, last heard no plans to return. 2nd for better prospects, income and lifestyle that his partner could achieve, so went to Canada; initially didn't work out and temporarily return to Scotland, but subsequently return to Canada and that's been a few years now. 3rd better earning capacity being self employed than he could achieve here and for lifestyle; plan is probably to come back to UK in a few year's time before retirement.

A possible 4th is in Australia on a 12 mth working visa and may not return if she get a good job/finds a husband/enjoys the lifestyle or whatever.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

In my case it was for love.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Bloody emigrants

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Sister went for love and better weather.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

We moved to Eire:-

Got rid of mortgage (and job)
No property tax, water, sewerage charges,
Less bureaucracy
less people
Why not? You only live once as my wife says
For the quiet life.
For the experience

But after 10 years came back - it was too quiet -

Moving to Eire was a major event in my life I guess and totally changed how I see the UK. Did my confidence good too.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I went to the US for a PhD. I had offers at Reading and UCLA; the project was more interesting at UCLA, and frankly California seemed better than the home counties. I wasn't very happy the first year or two but grew to love it and ended up staying about 10 years.

I took a job in Australia about 4 years ago and really regret it; I would almost be certainly have been better staying in the US (shouty orange freaks notwithstanding). To be honest, despite the claims of a cultural difference, Australia is just provincial England in the Southern Hemisphere; a bit friendlier perhaps, but only in a very superficial sense.

That said, I would sooner stay here than go back to the UK. I can't imagine ever going back.

In reply to balmybaldwin:



Haven't done it (yet) but that would be one of the main criteria for me moving.
That, and the weather.
And the weather would lead to better lifestyle choices (out door sports).

But until I'm truly fed up of the UK then I can cope with the weather

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Desire to learn and experience different cultures as a permanent resident rather than a tourist. Opportunities for better standard of living, while working less than would be necessary in the UK. Access to true, unspoilt wilderness on the doorstep in some places.

We left the UK around 5 years ago, and ended up in Oman. Being here has its downsides, but it's hard to describe just how much we have all learned and grown through living out here. We would've considered coming back to the UK until the Brexit vote, but after that I'm not especially keen.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I emigrated to the French Alps almost 5 years ago. Me and the wife were mid-30s in secure jobs in London with no kids but with a love for the mountains and decided that in this day and age, with modern communications, cheap travel and open borders we could strike a balance.

We did - we both work for international companies, travel a lot, but work from home and having mobile comms, video conferencing and collaborative tools (not to mention a workplace culture that accepts this) make this possible.

The desire though was simply a 'why not?'. We did't want to work into retirement and then move out here with our prime behind us. I don't see the point of living within sight of mountains if I don't have the physical ability to hike up them or ski down them.

Experiencing a different culture is fun too - not many English speakers in our part of the Alps so learning French is a must and brings its own rewards. More space is great after years of a 2 bed London flat.

Obviously it was 'only' France. Not that far away to head back if it all went wrong. Moving further afield is obviously a bigger and more expensive deal with much more pronounced cultural differences.

That said, I hate it when people do down the UK when they emigrate. I wasn't fed up with the UK, just wanted something different. I actually appreciate how amazing a country, and how lucky I was to be born a citizen of the UK.

No plans to ever head back, but then we don't know what the future will bring.

In reply to subtle:




I was amazed at how quickly I came to dislike the weather here, and pine for the UK's weather.

In reply to yorkshireman:

I believe you are, as they say, living the dream.

In reply to Big Ger:

I feel vaguely the same about winters not being as cold as they used to be in the UK. I checked through the records and the 80's and 90's were colder than now, with another cold spell during the second half of the noughties IIRC. It's only a 2 degree increase on average since the 80's but that makes a big difference in the UK with it's temperate climate. I'd like my nieces and nephew to get to enjoy snow.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

This time Love, last time Jobs, before that both...

My wife's American and she was in med school here so it made sense for me to move and hobble along, she's now an MD, a resident, sort of a junior Dr, so we've moved around but finally both have OK incomes. Nothing great but in the next few years life will even out again.

I'd love to move back to the UK but not for a good 5-10 years. I'm keen to make a home and life here and then see. TBH MD's are paid so much more here and work less hours that I cant see us going back. I'd be keen to move to Canada in a few years but we need to look at her qualifications.

I'm not particularly tied to any country though so will be open to moving anywhere. I've never lived anywhere for long and seem to want to move on after a few years but with a kid I am keen for more stability.

In reply to Big Ger:


in NZ I liked the weather but loved in Wellington and really missed the autumn, here the fall is spectacular, but I like strong seasonal changes.

In reply to Captain Fastrousers:

One thing I really didnt like about NZ was the travel. It was basically just NZ or Aus. Even in the US I can see fairly different areas but I do love Europe that you can leave work in Germany on a Friday, have a beer in Poland that night, be in the czech republiuc Saturday and back at work Monday.. then the next week you are in Denmark..

It was just so easy to see so much. NZ is varied but it was also 'just NZ'.. it was just so out on a limb, even Aus was a good 6-8 hour journey door to door.

In reply to balmybaldwin: Initially left to watch the 2006 Ashes in Oz and ended up being there and NZ for about 3 years.
Pros - the wilderness, the weather, the 'can do' attitude, the space, the lack of traffic.
Cons - missing 'home' particularly the weather and the birdsong, just that feeling of belonging, family, OZ also particularly monochrome, difficult for my partner who is mixed race.

Family won and we moved back. Now I have two kids and they see my parents a few times a week. I will also be here to support my parents when they need it in a few years *gulp*.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Open space, low population and freedom to roam in Sweden.


fed up with UK traffic, congestion, generally urbanisation, uk schools for our kids, a culture where shopping was now a national pastime and where people seem unwilling to take any responsibility for the environment around them, everything is always somebody elses fault or job.

I can live in the middle of nowhere, roughly 15km to the nearest small town, nearest neighbour is 1km plus away, but still have great internet connection through either 4g at present about 45, although there is plan for fibre too. The roads are well maintained in summer, cleared of most snow in winter and verges aren't strewn with litter. Wildlife is everywhere, but also respected and protected by the population. I can ski from my door in winter, swim/paddle in nearby lakes in summer, fish them, or skate on them in winter.

You pay more tax overall, but you actually feel like you are getting much more back in return, in terms of health, infrastructure, education. Like for like property prices rurally are around a third or a quarter of the UK if you stay away from the biggest 3 cities.

At present I can't think of any reason why I'd return, but life is full of change so who really knows, 20 years ago I didn't think I'd be here, my plans were more towards Canada, NZ or Norway (although it's only next door anyway).

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I came to Canada 8 years ago. Mainly for the opportunity but also because I like change. I've always had a certain affintiy with North America, was always facinated by "true" wilderness.

I brought my family ,Wife and two daughters who were very young at the time and I can't see me ever leaving but I would never say never.

I was watching a program the other day, narrated by Julie Walters, about what its like to be British and TBH it wasn't really that funny because 90% of what was said could easily be applied to Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders (for obvious reasons). I'm not sure it works for Americans presumably because they have a stronger cultural mix?

I do love the UK. The weather has no extremes (no Tornados, Hurricanes, -40 degree winters, +40 degree summers), no real earthquake risk, nothining really poisonous, nothing big enough to eat you and political stability. So I didn't leave because I was "fed up" and would certainly recomend that anyone contemplating leaving for that reason should think long and hard. Almost all Western Countries have the same shit going on and you will simply be swapping one level of shit for another.

It does help that my move to Canada resulted in a significant increase in income but I don't think that is my main motive for being here nor for staying,