Moving to the UK after brexit- is this insane??

[Lifesaclimb]

Hello!! Just wondering if anyone here has any advice/insight, have several dilemmas I am from the Republic of Ireland and am hoping to study for a masters in child and adolescent psychotherapy in the UK. I read a lot on here and in general about anti EU feeling, anti foreigner feeling etc and while obviously you can't believe everything you read on the internet, a lot of it seems to be coming from politicians etc and to be honest has me a little freaked.
The course I have applied to seems a lot more prestigious than anything I would get into in Ireland and I am keen to spend time abroad in new places while I am young (I am aware the U.K. is not wildly different to here )

It's a work based course so would have to find a job in the U.K. and so wouldn't just be in a student bubble or anything like that! This is all totally academic as I have only just applied and haven't even had an interview yet, there's a high chance i won't get in and then this will have all been just wondering for nothing! I'm just trying to get a feel specifically for if I am mad to even consider it

Go for it. I hope you have a great time and I think it is unlikely you will be made to feel like a foreigner or experience racism.

There is a lot of stirring in the media. Maybe I live in a bubble, but I know almost no one who supports Brexit and those who do are not anti-immigrant, just anti the way the EU is organised and, in some cases, have connections beyond the EU that they feel are suffering and want to see treated equally. The UK, like any other country, is not immune to the odd racist nutter committing a crime, but I am still convinced that we are an open liberal society with an international outlook and that this will not change because of Brexit.

There were some horrid episodes in our shared history when Catholics were treated abominably, but Ireland is still family (as evidenced by the number of surnames common to both countries). This is why the common travel area was needed long before the EU was even thought of. Brexit shouldn't affect that and if it does the level of upset and anger towards the British government and the EU will be huge. It is a worry, but we have to hope that everyone involved is sensible enough not to find a positive way through that puts people with family in both Ireland and the UK above petty politics.

The media is not representative, if it is a good course for you I would proceed, Brexit only just passed and a very small majority of those that voted for Brexit are racist or xenophobic, I'm a remain voter but there are reasonable arguments for being pro Brexit that do not involve racism or xenophobia.

OP I voted leave - you are welcome to come here as far as I am concerned !

I don't know anyone who voted leave based on immigration and the majority of my friends were / are leave. It is all about the direction the EU is going.

Have you looked at the cost of studying for an MA in another European country? Have a look at the Netherlands and Sweden. The courses are often free of charge and are in English, too.

I think all opinions on anti immigration is aimed at eastern Europe and the newer countries to join EU like Romania tbh. A lot of people won't recognise your accent as ROI just Irish and so you could easily be NI, but even if the individual knew where you were from and was Anti EU I highly doubt you would be subjected to any vitriol.

There was mass immigration here from Ireland before we both joined the EU, there has been a common travel area since lord knows when, and nobody, but nobody, wants a hard border in Ireland (for different reasons) and none of this is going to change. Yes, there is a degree of prejudice against the Irish - though much less than when I was young, and I'm '52 vintage - just as there is against the English in Scotland, but there's no reason why this should not work out well.

Consider yourself welcome

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, it's nice to hear positive opinions!
I think I am being influenced not just by what I've read online, but also have a couple of English friends who are very negative about the UK in general, obviously this has to come with a pinch of salt as they have chosen to live abroad but I don't want to go into anything with my eyes closed!
Didn't mean to imply that all leave voters are racist by any means, I don't know an awful lot about it and the perspective here is very pro EU in my experience, but of course there are a multitude of reasons why a person might have voted leave. I just don't want to be naive about anything I am getting myself into.
@Imperial I have looked at the possibility of doing the course in another European country but am unsure how this would be accredited compared to doing it here or in the U.K.

I will be moving back in 2019....can't wait. Can't see why you wouldn't do your Masters in the UK. I would d o it sooner though, so you get charged the appropriate tuition fees, as opposed to what they might be post Brexit.

You are at serious risk of being told you have a gorgeous accent multiple times a day. If you can cope with that then go for it.

If you come to Liverpool or Manchester then we're 90% Irish anyway

Come OP! You're very welcome here. (I'm a leave voter and I'm not racist).

Racist arse holes were always racist arse holes. The vote didn't turn them that way. So don't feel cautious, please.

Seriously the thick fuckwits abusing the furriners aren't going to be able to figure out the detail of Eire and Northern Ireland.

OK maybe not quite 90%

You won't have any problems - do come.

Ignore the media, they are being totally irresponsible with some of the rubbish they are printing - there was a story in the Sunday Times yesterday about Gibraltar that was so clearly made up - not even in the Daily Mail!

If you're going to do it, I'd come sooner rather than later. Just because, in the absolute worst case scenario, there's no freedom of movement and the Irish cease to have their old, pre EU, EU plus rights in the UK. I doubt very much that that'll happen, but it's not impossible (this is my field btw).

And if you are worried, choose somewhere with an already substantial Irish influence. Liverpool and Manchester were mentioned for a reason and we voted Remain! I have an English friend who was shouted at for looking 'fucking Irish' recently (which he does) and this was in a Midlands city. But I look Irish too, because ethnically I am mostly, and nobody has even mentioned that to me. It's entirely unremarkable in the north west!

The joys of places like Manchester and Liverpool is that in any particular bus stop queue, coffee shop, pub etc there will almost certainly be English people with varying degrees of Irish ancestry, who would more than likely have something to say to anyone passing negative comment. I saw this happen on the nightbus once!

But I think you would be fine. My family includes Irish people living in England and none have had any more issues post-Brexit. I think the poster upthread who said it's aimed more at Eastern Europeans was correct. There has been an air of it being more acceptable to voice certain sentiments since the vote, not because all Leave voters are racist (lots aren't remotely) but because if you're a racist, the Leave vote was encouarging to you. That's obviously not ok either, nor is it any more excusable than anti-Irishness, but it does mean you're unlikely to have to worry about it.