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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be seriously considering leaving this country?

390 replies

User135644 · 28/09/2022 13:29

I've lived here all my life l, have all my family and friends here but I feel desperate to get out now.

Brexit was national self harm in itself (and has made it harder to leave) but I am done with Tory island. They have destroyed everything over the last 12 years.

Had it now. Country heading for collapse.

OP posts:
fallinover · 28/09/2022 16:03

We already left, but a very low value pound makes it more likely that dc will return for University.

GreenLunchBox · 28/09/2022 16:03

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 14:35

I honestly hate what's become of this country. I grew up in the 90s/2000s when there was so much hope. Of course there was still so much wrong with the world but there was a real optimism that progress was being made, that the drift was in the right direction. Apart from gay marriage, I can't think of a single step in the right direction that's been made since the Tories took power.

I'd love to go but not well set up for it - young children, no second languages, no in-demand skills. Both DH and I have very middling professional jobs in HE. Of course if it weren't for fucking Brexit we could have just upped sticks and tried our luck in any number of civilised countries. But now we'll have to make a case for ourselves and frankly i think we'd be hard to sell. I do have a friend with a similar background who has moved to the Netherlands though - need to have a serious chat with her about how she managed it! If we're going to do it would probably be wise to do it before the kids are at secondary school.

The next GE (whenever it comes) will be the clincher for me. If we get the Tories again we are utterly, utterly fucked. Even with the best possible outcome even a brilliant government would struggle to turn this train wreck around now but my hope for the best would be given a shot in the arm if these crooks were given a drubbing. Right now I am grimly of the opinion that we currently have the government the majority of the country richly deserve, given the way they've been voting for the past 12 years and given Brexit.

Same

Fordian · 28/09/2022 16:04

BigWoollyJumpers - I'm frontline professional NHS and since our EU staff departed, we've had to look further and further afield. A job advert attracts 200 applicants, 180 of which will be west African, many of which will be near identical 🤔- but it has become a real issue. There are major communication difficulties, culture clashes (like males refusing instruction from higher ranked females), and training disparities. Mistakes are piling up. Staff do a 12 hour day shift, then straight to an agency 10 hour night-shift, and repeat.

There's certainly no shortage of people lining up to come to the UK, but you need to be careful what you wish for.

Like the rest of my pre-Brexit team who are already gone, I'm working my notice. It's untenable.

Noviembre · 28/09/2022 16:15

Dotjones · 28/09/2022 13:31

Bye! It'll be interesting to see if more people follow suit. Despite this country being considered a shithole by many, we still have a massive net migration inwards.

By Albanian coke dealers. Unless we all want to be Albanian coke dealers I don't really see the appeal.

GreenLunchBox · 28/09/2022 16:15

dnac · 28/09/2022 15:03

Strange isn’t it that lots are now seemingly looking to become economic migrants to other countries when the concept of economic migrants into this country have in the past been condemned. There is surely an argument to say that it is better to stay and work actively to improve your home country (and in a democracy there are ways to achieve that) rather than bail out and always go on the hunt for the illusory greener grass elsewhere . Life can’t always be perfect. History shows us that.

Seems to be only British people who hate economic migrants. Economic migrants help countries thrive

11GrumpsaGrumping · 28/09/2022 16:19

We left! I come back for work every six to eight weeks and notice a change for the worse every time.

GreenLunchBox · 28/09/2022 16:19

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 15:12

Languages are the real barrier. US and Aus are both as bad as UK in terms of right wing politics. I don't know enough about NZ but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be easy to emigrate there.

If I could speak any language I'd love to go to Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands or Germany. I feel like these are all places supportive of families and progressive, with reasonably accessible healthcare.

If I don't manage to get out myself, I'm going to strongly encourage my kids to skill themselves for export, and to try and do a year (or even their whole degree) abroad. I don't want them to be stuck here like I feel.

This is why Brexit ENRAGES me so much - they were born with so many options, and they were stolen away mostly by people whose life had mostly passed them by. By the time my kids might want to have access to Europe, the people who slammed the door on them will mostly be dead.

Absolutely this

I looked into which countries I could move to with my skillset but with being limited by only speaking English the alternatives aren't appealing

AchatAVendre · 28/09/2022 16:25

GreenLunchBox · 28/09/2022 16:15

Seems to be only British people who hate economic migrants. Economic migrants help countries thrive

Considering that virtually every other first world country requires migrants to either prove that they can do a job that a native person cannot do or support themselves without working from their own funds, I don't think its economic migrants who can do either that British people are complaining about...

MarshaBradyo · 28/09/2022 16:26

cosmiccosmos · 28/09/2022 15:02

For all those people clapping and cheering and saying 'byeee' - you do realise that the people who can leave are almost certainly highly educated/skilled and are paying lots of tax? Those who want to come here or are arriving eg as asylum seekers/refugees are generally not as educated/skilled and need lots of support.

I don't understand posters who think it's great people are leaving! The country cannot afford to lose people like this but you all crack on Hmm

I assume that’s the reasoning behind tax cuts at top end and immigration quotas for needed workforce

Whether Labour reversing it will help we’ll see

Cruisebabe1 · 28/09/2022 16:26

Same here looking to leave the UK . Have had a house in Spain for 15 months now, (still have the UK property ). Looking at applying for residency in Spain, we are retired and fulfill the income required for a visa. It’s a shame what has happened to the Uk

VioletInsolence · 28/09/2022 16:27

My kids are a quarter Irish so I think we will apply for citizenship for them but I’ll be stuck here.

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:33

EgonSpengler2020 · 28/09/2022 15:50

DH and I have briefly talked about it this week. But we would need to be an English speaking country, but I do have a sought after professional qualification.

However, I don't like the way Canada is going politically at the moment, not sure I could cope with Aussie heat, especially as I have an outside job. DH thinks Perth would be okay, obviously NZ is an option too.

But, we have a dog who is only 5 and there is no way he would cope with crating for air travel, and no way I'd ever re-home him. So in a decade when he is gone, both DH and I will be over 50, so not sure we'd get a visa at that age anyway. It would also be a bad age then to move DD who is 4 now.

So I guess we are staying put.

I am absolutely astonished anyone would make a major life decision on the basis of wanting to spare their dog some brief discomfort. When it could mean a better life for your actual child??

I mean i am the opposite of a dog person but I find that utterly mad.

Bacibaci · 28/09/2022 16:34

I am long term sick so can’t move even though I have dual nationality with an EU country through my father. I am v much hoping Labour may win in 2024 and I am liking what they have been saying at their conference this week. Although they will inherit a big mess including Brexit I think there is a chance they will take us off this current path to huge deregulation and a low tax economy. If Cons are voted back in 2024 then I despair.

bellac11 · 28/09/2022 16:35

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:33

I am absolutely astonished anyone would make a major life decision on the basis of wanting to spare their dog some brief discomfort. When it could mean a better life for your actual child??

I mean i am the opposite of a dog person but I find that utterly mad.

I dont, my OH and I have discussed trying to buy a little place in Portugual where they have a much easier route into buying after Brexit and perhaps spending half a year there split into 90 day stints, but we wouldnt be able to have pets if we do that

So we're not going to

Bacibaci · 28/09/2022 16:36

DH thinks Perth Ok

If you are worried about the heat then Perth is v hot. Melbourne/Geelong climate not as brutal.

MadameOvary81 · 28/09/2022 16:36

Yup, us too, OP. We've started interviewing for jobs abroad. Currently waiting to hear back from two; one in Belgium, one in Dubai. It helps that my partner has a very specialised job and a European passport. My son has dual citizenship. It's just me that's a problem! We had to knock back a job in DK due to them wanting a £20,000 deposit for me, with no guarantee i'd get right to remain after they evaluated me. It's bollocks being a Brit right now!

ChicagoCubsFan · 28/09/2022 16:38

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:33

I am absolutely astonished anyone would make a major life decision on the basis of wanting to spare their dog some brief discomfort. When it could mean a better life for your actual child??

I mean i am the opposite of a dog person but I find that utterly mad.

I think it’s lovely. Dogs are part of the family. There’s no way we would move if our dogs couldn’t come with us.

Meili04 · 28/09/2022 16:39

Thinking of applying for PR in Australia, Canada , NZ or US. I have very in demand skills so at least I will have a choice.

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:39

NooNakedJacuzziness · 28/09/2022 16:03

Quite a few people saying if they move it would have to be to an English speaking country. Why can't you learn another language? You'd fit in much better and be accepted more quickly (and have more options).

It's bloody tricky to learn a new language proficiently enough to work in a professional environment and compete with native speakers for jobs as an adult. I'm not saying one shouldn't expect to have to as an immigrant - of course one should - but it is seriously challenging and not to be shrugged off. Especially whilst living a busy life with an existing job and children.

Learn enough not to be 'that English tourist' on a foreign holiday? Easy. Enough to support a German post-doctoral researcher to develop a systematic review search strategy (better than a german-speaking qualified information-professional)? - unlikely!

Hotseatpants · 28/09/2022 16:42

My DH is Irish and my adult kids are getting Irish passports. I’m British but applying for Dutch nationality through the option procedure. I am actually ashamed to be British now. I used to think the Netherlands was awful but seems like paradise now compared to here. Seriously thinking of retiring to Ireland, though we love London, it’s just for the rich now.

DD1 is thinking of emigrating to the rural US. Despite the politics and shit healthcare etc she thinks she’d have a better lifestyle all round with the forests and lakes on her doorstep. She’s a vet. She will never be able to afford her own place in London. Her BF has a US passport and a large extended family to provide support.

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:42

ChicagoCubsFan · 28/09/2022 16:38

I think it’s lovely. Dogs are part of the family. There’s no way we would move if our dogs couldn’t come with us.

But he could go with them, presumably - he'd just have to go in a crate for a few hours. No it wouldn't be lovely for him but it would be over soon enough and that would be that. Just boggles my mind that less-than-a-day unpleasantness for the dog could determine the lives of the rest of the family.

bellac11 · 28/09/2022 16:45

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:39

It's bloody tricky to learn a new language proficiently enough to work in a professional environment and compete with native speakers for jobs as an adult. I'm not saying one shouldn't expect to have to as an immigrant - of course one should - but it is seriously challenging and not to be shrugged off. Especially whilst living a busy life with an existing job and children.

Learn enough not to be 'that English tourist' on a foreign holiday? Easy. Enough to support a German post-doctoral researcher to develop a systematic review search strategy (better than a german-speaking qualified information-professional)? - unlikely!

My OH has been having lessons for months and months, he couldnt even order a drink still to be honest, gets all the letter sounds muddled up. I suspect undiagnosed dyslexia, have suspected this for years but the lessons have shown me that this is very likely. He is also 60.

Its so glib to say 'just learn the language' its not that easy

bellac11 · 28/09/2022 16:47

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:42

But he could go with them, presumably - he'd just have to go in a crate for a few hours. No it wouldn't be lovely for him but it would be over soon enough and that would be that. Just boggles my mind that less-than-a-day unpleasantness for the dog could determine the lives of the rest of the family.

Many years ago we re homed a dog from Spain and the flight traumatised her, I dont think she ever got over it.

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:50

bellac11 · 28/09/2022 16:47

Many years ago we re homed a dog from Spain and the flight traumatised her, I dont think she ever got over it.

Well I bow to those who know, i don't like dogs so have never had one. But I'm amazed, it's a more binding commitment than children in some ways. I'd never considered it that way.

ChicagoCubsFan · 28/09/2022 16:52

MaybeIWillFuckOffThen · 28/09/2022 16:42

But he could go with them, presumably - he'd just have to go in a crate for a few hours. No it wouldn't be lovely for him but it would be over soon enough and that would be that. Just boggles my mind that less-than-a-day unpleasantness for the dog could determine the lives of the rest of the family.

Presumably they know their dog and they’ve said he wouldn’t cope with the crating for the journey. There could be lots of reasons for this. It’s lovely that he’s so much a part of their family. I see so many dogs that are just dumped, this really restores my faith in humanity to be honest.

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