To think I'm an immigrant?

[user1466714206]

would just like to add a disclaimer that I'm not trying to work this out because I'm worried about being an immigrant as if it is a bad thing, I am genuinely curious.
I was born in a European country after my parents (both British) met there while working. They moved back to England with me and my younger sister when I was about 6. I have a UK passport and im a British citizen, but am I technically an immigrant? The whole EU debate has just brought up the topic between me and my friends and I know that the definition of an immigrant is someone who goes to live in another country, but does it still count if your parents are from the country you move to?

[Strokethefurrywall]

I'm both an immigrant and the daughter of immigrants.

Parents both moved over to the UK with their families from separate countries when they were younger, met in London, fell in love, yadda yadda yadda.

My siblings and I were all born and raised in south west London, and I now, am an immigrant in another country.

[ApocalypseSlough]

Yes, you and many others including DH, and 3 SIL's (not his sister's but my brothers and bil's wives) skew the 'born overseas' results. They all went to school and university here, have English accents and look Anglo Saxon.

[timeandtide]

Technically your domicile is taken from your father so if he was British and you were born abroad you can still be classed as British (I think)

Anyway, WHO CARES?!?! You're British and that's that.

[ApocalypseSlough]

time it matters because a lot of the scaremongering x% of residents born overseas paints a picture which is very different from reality. And people vote and make decisions based on that snapshot. As pp have said Boris wasn't born here, but for all his faults he's not an 'unintegrated non British values drain on society type.'

[lougle]

No, you're not an immigrant because you were a British Citizen even though you didn't live in Britain. For immigration purposes, Britain was not a foreign country to you (hence passport) and when you came here for the first time you were simply coming 'home'.

[Brokenbiscuit]

I wouldn't regard you as an immigrant, but you would be counted in the "born overseas" numbers.

[HonniBee]

I was born and grew up in another country. My mother is a citizen of that country and my father is British.

When I was 21 I applied for a British passport and came to the Uk. The customs officer at the border said "welcome home".

I feel like an immigrant because I didn't grow up here, but by lougles definition I'm not. Do you think there's an age cut off? Like if I'd come here before I turned 10, I would feel like a citizen?

[LifeIsGoodish]

I was born outside GB, to non-British parents, who had been living and working in Britain for several years. I was naturalised when they were. I, clearly, am an immigrant.

But what about my sisters? Two were born in Britain, but one before our parents were naturalised, the other after our parents were naturalised. Is BigSis an immigrant, but LittleSis not? What about BabySis, who, like me, was born abroad, but to naturalised British parents?

[Out2pasture]

Agree with lougle. No you are not an immigrant as both your parents were british citizens.
of interest, France is very particular and babies born over there do not acquire citizenship unless a very specific list of requirements are met. So check the country you were born in you many not even have dual citizenship.

[LazyJournalistsQuoteMN]

You don't have to worry about the EU referendum, Remain has succeeded in the poles from what is reported so far

[neolara]

My parents were immigrants and at least one of them still had their other nationality when I was born in the UK. Does that make me an immigrant? I certainly saw our whole family as not British when I was a kid. However, I've never lived anywhere else.

[TheManaha]

I don't think you are an immigrant.

[Roonerspism]

No, you aren't.

Not that it makes any difference!

[scatterolight]

Is Joanna Lumley an Indian immigrant? (she was born in Kashmir)

Being born somewhere other than the land of your parents does not reassign your ethnicity. If your parents are British then so are you.

[AdjustableWench]

British is not an ethnicity.

[Pendu]

I never know what I am. Irish parents, born in Scotland , live I. England since 9months old . I was getting stressed when Scotland was voting in the referendum because I was eligible for a passport but I also want to stay British and also want an Irish passport. Can you be a triple citizen ? I like to keep my eggs in many baskets

[sycamore54321]

UN definition of an immigrant is someone living outside of their country of birth for more than 12 months; citizenship does not come into it. So a lot of statistics are calculated in this way and by that definition you are indeed an immigrant. The global figure for immigrants has hovered for decades at about 3% of the world's population, so that might make you feel a bit special.

The whole thing goes to show that it is facile to seek to discuss a global and age-old phenomenan like human mobility is simplistic cliches.

[TooMuchMNTime]

legally you're British. To me, legal is the only way to decide immigrant status.

[julfin]

No, you're not an immigrant because your parents were British and you were born British. You are British born overseas as a PP said.

Your parents were immigrants (expats) when you were born.

[julfin]

(Although that's not to say that there aren't some definitions under which you are seen as an immigrant.)

[alicethepalace]

For immigration figures you are an immigrant.

I am in the same position as you, born abroad to British parents. Moved back to the UK when I was 2.
Never mattered until I married a non UK citizen when I discovered that in order for our kids to be British they needed to be born in the UK.
Interestingly now my husband he's become a UK citizen he could pass British citizenship to any further children we have, even if they are born our side the UK.
I saw 2 immigration lawyers to confirm this.

[ChipsandGuac]

I'm an immigrant. A British immigrant in the US. You know there's nothing wrong with being an immigrant, right?!

[BeALert]

I was born outside the UK to two British parents. I don't think I am an immigrant to the UK.

[jay55]

Did you have a non GB passport first?