To think leaving UK is the best Option now

[LeavinUK]

We are thinking of leaving UK now to move to Dubai or USA. We have two young children who are in nursery, not in School yet and one will start school next year.
The reasons are the state of UK. Looking at the state of NHS, the waits are so long if you ever have to go to A&E, you can access better healthcare of you have insurance in any other country. Another reason is the ever increasing tax, we both work full time and I have the potential to earn six figures but I am staying at a flexible job to earn under 6 figures and I am forced to not get a promotion or switching to High paying jobs by the fact that I won't be eligible for 30 funded hours of Childcare which I I think is very unfair on hard working people who want to progress in career while having young children. UK doesn't feels like a family friendly country overall.
We also don't feel safe now going out to city centre etc which have become a ghost town and so much of illegal immigrants loitering around and so much increase in crimes.
Our friends who moved to Dubai are able to afford full time house help, nanny and a driver while earning similar to ourselves. While, here we are struggling with young kids and paying huge taxes. I have family in USA who are earning big bucks and paying much less taxes and being able to save and invest better for retirement while we will be working till 68 potentially 70 which is totally insane.
AIBU to feel leaving UK is the best option now and have you made a move or considering moving?

Why not just get private health cover here? I wouldn't move to the USA right now if j was paid to. Thea UAE sounds like my idea of hell, but each to their own.

If your reasons are healthcare, childcare costs and public safety it makes absolutely no sense to move to USA.

Go on then head to the USA where schools have shooting drills, or Dubai, a misogynistic state propped up by slave labour.

Of all the place you could go you have probably picked two that are actually less appealing! I can't imagine ever choosing to move to either of those places.

If you can get a decent job in Dubai covering rent, schools and other costs… go for it (although rest of MN will say it’s a terrible place). But the USA?? Now??? IMHO you’d be beyond mad to move there for better health and a safer lifestyle.

We are considering USA because of career prospects and have family there.

How do you know they are 'illegal immigrants' and not just 'immigrants' ... which you will be if your plan goes ahead.

This. Also, I used to live in Dubai and loathed it so much that I moved back to London with no job! I still remember the feeling of happiness that came over me as I looked out the car window at a rainy Holloway Road.

Agree with previous comments. I’d rather stay here than live in either of those places. But if you fancy it, go for it.

While I can see why you might want to leave The UK if the reasons you state are genuine I have no idea why you would pick Dubai or The US

We like Dubai due to more sunshine and be able to afford house help and nanny plus the growing career prospects.

I’m in the USA and I’m not sure the healthcare ideals you have are true - I had a fairly minor op last year and we are still paying off the bill and we have great insurance- also food prices are really high and then there’s trump for the next four years… if we were not already settled here I’m not sure I would choose to move during a trump administration

I’d like to leave the uk too, but i can’t at the moment.
I don’t think Dubai would be a very pleasant place to live, but I suppose it depends on the individual.
You need health insurance in America otherwise you can get into big trouble with healthcare costs.
There must be better places than Dubai or USA.

Is there any chance of us retrieving the UK? The overcrowding and underfunding and expense is terrible. I’d leave too if I thought the UK couldn’t recover from this seige.

We also don't feel safe now going out to city centre etc which have become a ghost town and so much of illegal immigrants loitering around and so much increase in crimes.

How do you know someone is an illegal immigrant by seeing them in the street?

Why do you think the solution would be to become an immigrant somewhere else?

Or do you think calling yourself an expat would make that different?

Some of our friends have made the move to Dubai and they are absolutely loving it. We are considering sending DC to private schools which will be much cheaper in Dubai and quality of education would be similar.

This.

are you well OP? 😂

And how do you feel about the slave labour, and the misogyny? Is that acceptable as you'll be able to afford a nanny?

I can understand the logic behind wanting to leave the UK, but hell would freeze over before I moved to Dubai or USA.

But some of the things you mentioned - such as healthcare - cost a fortune in the USA. And you mentioned safety - you think the USA is BETTER for that?

You think the career prospects in the USA will be good right now?! The stock market is tanking and people are being laid off left right and centre. Also, really not a good time to be an immigrant there!

Yeah this sums it up. Tiny kids doing ‘active shooter’ drills. No thanks !

Hard agree on the slave labour in Dubai also

Don’t blame you! Love to leave myself !

Dubai is much, much more expensive than people realise. Groceries are insanely expensive and the heat is unrelenting.

My DH worked there for a while and I have a cousin who lives there.

Every single item in your life will cost at least double, so even though people warn good wages, it gets eaten (literally) very quickly.

The US is quite turbulent right now politically.

The UK has its issues, sure. But as someone who has been an expat for the last 10 years, the grass isn't greener.

You can't make up for the security of being in your own country where you can get free healthcare if you need it.

Personally, I would do anything to be back in the UK right now and if I had kids I wouldn't dream of leaving.

The only two places I have lived that have a good quality of life other than the UK are NZ and AUS.

Being an expat used to be more glamorous but the world is a much smaller place now and having things like hired help for your home isn't as cheap as it used to be.

Dubai also has so many ethical issues for both the domestic workers and women.
I wouldn't ever visit there and DH stopped going because the things he saw were vile. Wealthy men with very young Russian girls on drugs, people being put in prison for pissing off the wrong people. Foreigners will never, ever be equal in any way.

Have you actually experienced problems with the NHS? I have very varied and extensive experience of the NHS and overall I find it brilliant. I live very near a big London teaching hospital, lucky me, but I have relatives and friends in other areas who also have varied and good experiences. I think a lot of the reports about the NHS are media nonsense. I understand that there are problems, nothing is perfect, but that’s all we ever hear about. As a PP said, why not get private healthcare here? Then you’ve got a proper comparison.