So, should I just go back home then 🤷🏻‍♀️

[SickoftheCword]

I live abroad, in a country where you’d have to go to a hotel quarantine if going to/back to the U.K. My parents are due to come out to us in the summer, they’ll be vaccinated by then, dad already had first vaccine.
Will these hotel rules still be in place? There’s no way that can do that..when will they see my Dd again 🤷🏻‍♀️
Worried about the future and wondering whether to just back home to the U.K. to live.
Aibu and dramatic about it or does the future look so uncertain, I’d at least be better back in the same country as them?

I am going to be straight with you op, this is going to be continuing in some form or another for years.

Potentially even more severe travel restrictions can be expected in the future.

I would take the chance to move back home whilst I could, because you might find that all travel is banned entirely with future more dangerous variants. If being close to your family is important to you, I would be making plans to move back home.

Not wishing to sound negative, but we will soon see the collapse of the airline industry, there are no guarantees as to what is coming next, and in an uncertain, dangerous and long term situation, only you can decide if being close to your family is a priority or not. But to expect the travel situation to improve any time soon, to me, seems somewhat naive and overly optimistic. We are going to be in this position for a long time. There are no quick fixes, we have seen that already.

I would have thought that given the work to set it up the quarantine will be around for quite a while (months to years) although the places it applies to may vary over the time depending on what mutations happen with the virus.

Long term I think we might have to get used to seeing people living in other countries much less often, partly as the airlines will collapse so there will be fewer and as such more expensive flights and then ecologically I think the world will see this as a time to put the brakes on. I am sure there will be more travel than right now in a few years though, it won't stay as restricted as this.

I am sure this will leave to some people moving closer to loved ones but then there will be others for whom that means moving away form others they want to be near so it isn't going to be easy. Lots of big decisions to be made by many people without a great deal of clarity and certainty so it is very hard.

Are you happy where you are? Do you have stable employment? I wouldn't be making a long-term decision like emigrating now for what may be a short or medium term problem.

@snowydaysandholidays

I am going to be straight with you op, this is going to be continuing in some form or another for years.

Potentially even more severe travel restrictions can be expected in the future.

I would take the chance to move back home whilst I could, because you might find that all travel is banned entirely with future more dangerous variants. If being close to your family is important to you, I would be making plans to move back home.

Not wishing to sound negative, but we will soon see the collapse of the airline industry, there are no guarantees as to what is coming next, and in an uncertain, dangerous and long term situation, only you can decide if being close to your family is a priority or not. But to expect the travel situation to improve any time soon, to me, seems somewhat naive and overly optimistic. We are going to be in this position for a long time. There are no quick fixes, we have seen that already.

I don’t see how that kind of talk helps. No one knows how long this will last. It’s just speculation on your part. Most countries have started vaccinations. Things could change dramatically over the next few months.

I live in a country that is not on the red list, but no way of getting to the UK without going through a red list country. The country I live in has very strict quarantine. DP went back to the UK last Feb temporary but never managed to make it back (was on temporary visa so was not allowed back).

After not seeing DP or my family for a year I decided I am moving back. Yes I am safe here but the thought of never seeing family again is to much for me.
I was on the fence thinking of waiting it out but watching a friend having to say her final good byes to her mum on the phone cause she was struggling to get the paperwork to leave the country made me decide to go back.

It is totally your choice you have to way up the pros and cons. Also can you cope with maybe not seeing family for another 1-2 years?

I don’t see how that kind of talk helps. No one knows how long this will last. It’s just speculation on your part. Most countries have started vaccinations. Things could change dramatically over the next few months.

To be fair, the OP is asking everyone to speculate.

black I lived overseas for years and years, for an airline in fact. As such I am aware they only just break even, even without covid. It was precarious at the best of times. It is now a dire and very bleak situation with no obvious resolution in sight.

It’s not helpful to pretend that this will pass in a few months. The very last thing the British government wants to do is introduce restrictions and quarantines and travel bans. Our country depends on it, we are very much a trading nation and international hub. This has certainly not been introduced lightly, and given the resources and logistics it is clearly isn’t going to be short term either.
The talk here is of tighter restrictions not less of them. The vaccines are not the saviour we had hoped they would be because the variant keeps changing and evolving. I don’t say on a whim that anyone should pack up their life and move home, only that the window to do so is probably now, and I can’t see things improving anytime soon. So ensuring you have job security/savings and a plan b is more essential than ever, as the days of repatriation flights appear to be over. If family is important or feeling isolated becomes really difficult coming home is a valid option.

According to our unelected representatives, such as Van Tam (who likes the sound of his own voice a bit too much for my liking) the British are not to make elaborate holiday plans for this year.

Obviously, the UK Government is giving us no ability to plan ahead to visit family or friends, but since we lost those rights a long time ago, it appears to be something we are going to have to get used to.

I wouldn't move back to the UK, no. Stay somewhere that basic human rights are regarded as being important enough to know whether they will exist in 6 months time.

[quote SickoftheCword]@LeaveMyDamnJam You think the paying for a hotel quarantine will still be in place in July/August? 😕[/quote]
Pretty sure they will still be in force then

green that is an unfair comment. We have lost over 100,000 people! Can you imagine how that feels? Many due to the second wave caused by last summer’s travelling. The government are following advice to try and keep as many people safe as possible. The rights of the people who live here, their right to life is more important than the right to travel, as it should be.
I am as sad as the next person, but we have got to stop this virus, our children have to go to school. Travel is not essential.
I understand why you are bitter but don’t blame our wonderful scientists that are paving the way out of this slowly but surely with vaccines and saving lives. Please don’t. JVT is a highly respected and admired professor here.

I think this sort of thing will be in place for a while. I also lived abroad but came home this time last year when everything was just "kicking off". Everyone thought I was being mad but I knew we'd be in the shit for a long time....and I was right. I'd have been stuck if I'd stayed.
However, my decision was right for me but not necessarily right for anyone else.....

@GreenlandTheMovie

According to our unelected representatives, such as Van Tam (who likes the sound of his own voice a bit too much for my liking) the British are not to make elaborate holiday plans for this year.

Obviously, the UK Government is giving us no ability to plan ahead to visit family or friends, but since we lost those rights a long time ago, it appears to be something we are going to have to get used to.

I wouldn't move back to the UK, no. Stay somewhere that basic human rights are regarded as being important enough to know whether they will exist in 6 months time.

Yes definately something you are going to have to get used too ....l for a long time

@snowydaysandholidays

green that is an unfair comment. We have lost over 100,000 people! Can you imagine how that feels? Many due to the second wave caused by last summer’s travelling. The government are following advice to try and keep as many people safe as possible. The rights of the people who live here, their right to life is more important than the right to travel, as it should be. I am as sad as the next person, but we have got to stop this virus, our children have to go to school. Travel is not essential. I understand why you are bitter but don’t blame our wonderful scientists that are paving the way out of this slowly but surely with vaccines and saving lives. Please don’t. JVT is a highly respected and admired professor here.

I think its just as likely to have been caused by the government's decision to open pubs and restaurants, while considering that the virus was still serious enough to ban competitive individual outdoor sports.

In Scotland, we had the farcical situation of being permitted to meet strangers in a pub if drinking alcohol but not to go to the gym or a swimming pool.

I disagree restaurants had very strict measures in place all year. I don't think pubs are even going to be reopened currently, so that is not even up for discussion.

The very process of travel makes it lethal when you consider the way the virus moves, mixing with thousands in airports, flying with hundreds of people in close proximity is clearly a problem, not to mention transporting different strains all over the world.

The quicker the world gets to grips with the new normal, the better. We are not going to travelling for the foreseeable, and I am afraid we will all have to get used to it. It is just what it is. Better to make your peace with it and make other arrangements. We have a beautiful and varied country thankfully with many options for a summer break. It will be fine. :)

This whole situation has made me question my own choice to emigrate, OP. I get it. When I left my home country 13 years ago to come live in the UK, it was on the basis on visiting family every 2 months. I got to see my family every 2 months, if not once a month, either by me visiting them, them coming here, or meeting somewhere in the middle on holiday. I can't do this for much longer. I haven't seen my family since Dec 2019. The guilt is horrendous, made worse by Brexit and since 2016 having to hear that I am nothing but scum because I'm an immigrant of course.

The restrictions are here to stay in one form or another for years. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to move to be closer to family.

And for those like op that are making long term decisions about their future location and families, they will weigh up whether to stay and ride it out for a few years or to head home. It will depend on very personal circumstances such as job security, comfort and the health of close family members.

The writing has been on the wall for months regarding the travel bans/restrictions etc, and it could last for years and years. I have friends stuck now in the UAE, so I do get it. I feel for people that are stranded abroad, and those that are displaced, but given the hundreds of thousands of deaths, really people's safety now needs to come first.

I think quarantining will continue for a while. But it will be interesting to see what affect the vaccine has. For example vaccinated people may be allowed to quarantine for shorter periods or self isolate at home. But at the moment, they know that vaccines limit danger for those who have had them, but they don't yet know exactly how contagious those people still are/likely to get it etc. this information is changing all the time.

I wouldn't be planning on rushing to uproot and change your life today. But it is something you probably want to keep an eye on.

But there are other versions of things. eg, I think what's likely to happen with our family (in similar situation to you) is that visits will be less frequent but for much longer. I've long resisted, for example, taking the children out of school in order to visit family in other countries but I can see myself deciding that if I can only see my parents very seldom, then I'm doing it properly and the kids will have to miss some school.

I live overseas and haven't seen my family since April 2019 so I get you OP.

We were going to come back this summer for 2 months with the kids but I'm not traveling at all if it means quarantining with my kids on return.

If something were to happen with my family, only I would fly back on the next available air bridge flights (our borders are closed here) and work remotely but we've accepted that the chances of us leaving here before 2022 are slim to none.

My parents have had their first vaccination and due for the second on 22 April so I may be able to get them out here for a month or 2 depending on what travel restrictions are in place when they return to UK. We have no Covid here so hopefully they can move relatively freely.

My take on it is this.

We will be the first country where every adult is vaccinated.
On that basis, we can then start to catch every virus/mutation that arrives, and keep the population covid free.

A bit like what Australia and New Zealand have done.

Which sounds great, except, apart from holidays, we have so many people who travel for so many reasons, it is going to be very hard.

Thanks all,

Perhaps i have been naive, I didn’t expect some of the responses and feeling a bit panicky that it could potentially be years before seeing them?!

My parents will have had the vaccine by summer, dad is halfway through the process, they would easily quarantine at home as are retired, to pay that amount and to stay in ha hotel, I’m not sure is doable. They’d also pay for covid tests too etc.

We’re settled here with a house and jobs etc, we would be stuck if we came back to live in the uk due to work etc, I’m not sure how easy it would be to get jobs now 🤷🏻‍♀️but I literally can’t bear the thought of not being able to see them, they’re not getting any younger. Such very sad times.

It is very difficult especially as you sound very settled with jobs etc.

We can't travel anywhere at the moment anyway, so maybe wait and see how things pan out this summer. If things are the same or worse, perhaps line up a scenario for coming back?

The vaccines are really only half the story, because you can still carry and pass on covid, so potentially not ideal with travelling, and the new strains which are causing such a headache.

If things improve, take the first chance you can to fly back and see them and hope something opens up. I am sorry op. I know the feeling you describe. The homesickness is absolutely hideous, but it does pass. I knew it was time to come home when my homesickness did not pass and became a permanent feature every single day. I knew then I could not do stay any longer. You have everything there in place, so perhaps just take your time and wait a little longer. It could all work out, perhaps in the next year and you will be glad you didn't rush to move. That said, if they are old and frail then seeing them maybe more urgent.

It is so shit, and I am sorry you are going through this.

@Cadent Very helpful and kind 👍

I'm a lot more scared of quarantine than I am of covid.
If my dad suddenly dies (far abroad) I'll have to attend the funeral over video link.
Sucks, but this is how world has chosen to be.

@Onlineshopperforever I think it is really expensive yeah, that plus paying for flights and spending money when out here. Plus staying inside a hotel for 10 days and not leaving won’t be easy for my 71 year old dad.

@CharlotteRose90 How do you know that for certain?