70 per cent of Brits living in mainland Europe would go back

[AnonymousParticipant]

Question: would a return of Pound to say 1.5 Euros make many of the 70 per cent change their minds. Or many realised that moving abroad does not really make them smarter, does not save marriages or careers or healths?

“According to research by the UK foreign exchange specialists Moneycorp, 70 per cent of Brits living in mainland Europe are now thinking of moving back. The biggest factor is the drop in sterling’s value against the euro, by roughly 30 per cent over the past three years. Compare that with 2006, when it was estimated that more than 200,000 Britons emigrated from the UK, with France, Spain and Italy the principal destinations.”

“Spain, second on Moneycorp’s survey, is the country that has the most expats thinking about packing up.

On the ground, Mr Goldie’s impression is easily confirmed. “Everybody’s feeling the pinch,” says Silvia, who moved with her husband, Ken, to southern Spain in 2002. “It’s the young British couples with children who’ve had it worst – the ones who sold their businesses and properties in the UK, burned their boats, and now can’t get work out here. They’re living hand to mouth.”

Many expats, Silvia says, supplemented their British income with local work. But as the Spanish economy is suffering its worst recession in decades, some parts of the unofficial job market available to Britons have shuddered to a halt. “All the odd jobs, the plastering and teaching private English classes, which used to bring in a few euros here and there, that’s all drying up. We’re scraping along, but if this situation continues, we’ll have to make some serious recalculations.””

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/expats-exodus-as-brits-give-up-on-la-dolce-vita-1899058.html

[loganParticipant]

Anyone who lives in Europe knows someone who is ‘going back’. I certainly do, many. However I always ask “back to what”? The UK is in equally dire straits to the rest of Europe economically. Add to that population pressure, housing costs, employment prospects, climate, high taxation, average health care, appalling traffic, et al.
Then add all the stuff which caused the emigration in the first place which is still there. Going back! Not on your nelly, narda, no way Jose. (At least for me). 😀
The grass always appears greener somewhere else.

[loganParticipant]

Anyone who lives in Europe knows someone who is ‘going back’. I certainly do, many. However I always ask “back to what”? The UK is in equally dire straits to the rest of Europe economically. Add to that population pressure, housing costs, employment prospects, climate, high taxation, average health care, appalling traffic, et al.
Then add all the stuff which caused the emigration in the first place which is still there. Going back! Not on your nelly, narda, no way Jose. (At least for me). 😀
The grass always appears greener somewhere else.

[AnonymousParticipant]

@logan wrote:

Anyone who lives in Europe knows someone who is ‘going back’. I certainly do, many. However I always ask “back to what”? The UK is in equally dire straits to the rest of Europe economically..

During hard times, people tend to feel better among their peers. Conationals are more likely to be peers than the foreigners.

[AnonymousParticipant]

@logan wrote:

Anyone who lives in Europe knows someone who is ‘going back’. I certainly do, many. However I always ask “back to what”? The UK is in equally dire straits to the rest of Europe economically..

During hard times, people tend to feel better among their peers. Conationals are more likely to be peers than the foreigners.

[petejParticipant]

@flosmichael wrote:

Question: would a return of Pound to say 1.5 Euros make many of the 70 per cent change their minds. Or many realised that moving abroad does not really make them smarter, does not save marriages or careers or healths?

I think 1.50 to the GBP would make a lot of difference, there would be more UK buyers looking for properties, more UK holiday makers choosing Spain and other Euroland destinations to holiday etc,
It would also IMO have an effect on the British expats marriages and careers as having more money, and this is effectively what it would mean, helps to paper over cracks.

[petejParticipant]

@flosmichael wrote:

Question: would a return of Pound to say 1.5 Euros make many of the 70 per cent change their minds. Or many realised that moving abroad does not really make them smarter, does not save marriages or careers or healths?

I think 1.50 to the GBP would make a lot of difference, there would be more UK buyers looking for properties, more UK holiday makers choosing Spain and other Euroland destinations to holiday etc,
It would also IMO have an effect on the British expats marriages and careers as having more money, and this is effectively what it would mean, helps to paper over cracks.

[Author]

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