People leaving London and now the UK for good

[Musicaldilemma]

We are in Outer London. Ten sets of friends have moved out of London to other parts of the U.K. over the summer. Now many other families are in the process of emigrating to The Middle East, various part of Asia, 2 NZ families who have been here 20 years trying to go home and 3 Aussie families (1 parent Australian). It is definitely much more than usual. It seems everyone who is rich enough and able to is trying to leave the country for good. It got me thinking to when I was a young successful professional - I think I may have tried to leave too. I am worried we are going to end up with an unhealthy, elderly population with all the young, successful people propping the economy back gone. I think the latest rounds of news have broken quite a lot of people I know who have international options, it looks worse than immediately after Brexit. Is it just my friendship group and the people I know at work? (Lawyer?) Or are others observing this too?

Ingratitude springs to mind, sorry

Why is that poster ungrateful for wanting different for her son?
Why are you so angry about this thread?

@trulydelicious Why is it ungrateful to hold one of the wealthiest nations in the world to a higher standard? So many people here are living in poverty with little hope of ever being comfortable, and I don't see this government or any of it's opposition's changing that. I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I want better chances for my child. That is not ungrateful.

Apparently 1.3 million immigrants have left the UK recently, leading to the biggest population fall since WWII.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/covid-uk-immigrants-job-loss-b1787785.html

According to the latest estimates by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), net migration from overseas to the UK in the year ending March 2020 totalled 313,000 - the highest in four years and approaching the all-time record of 331,000 in the year to March 2015.

@Em777

Apparently 1.3 million immigrants have left the UK recently, leading to the biggest population fall since WWII

If someone is not happy it's ok that they leave.

What's the point you're trying to make exactly?

I would very much like Wales to leave the UK!

@Callcat

I would very much like Wales to leave the UK!

Don't start we are having enough problems with Scotland

I guarantee uk will see more immigration than emigration as it does every year.
What some may be moving away from may be what another moves for , and the grass isn't always greener.

What's the point you're trying to make exactly?

What point are you trying to make?

We're in inner London and we're planning to move next year, but to another part of London (zone 2 or 3). This is more related to schools and type of housing available, nothing to do with Covid tbh.

I haven't noted anyone we know moving because of Covid, but lots of them left due to Brexit and for schools/bigger homes. We're lucky that we can afford a bigger home but still stay in London, most of our friends who have left say they miss life here and would have stayed if they could afford it (even though the culture here currently isn't as it was, but even so there has been good theatre, art and restaurants open in the last year). Most of the ones who left due to Brexit did so a little reluctantly, partly due to employment changes or a sense of discrimination.

We could probably relocate to most developed countries via DH's job (and dual citizenship), so we've discussed emigrating fairly seriously, but ultimately what keeps us in the UK is my family. I hate the idea of only seeing them a few times a year, and not being able to be properly involved in my niece/nephew's lives, and my DPs when they're more elderly.

It also makes me laugh when i see uk touted as racist when a lot of eu countries are so much more racist.
Brexit was not all about racism and infact europe having freedom of movement for a mostly whits population is maybe unfair , so a dr from nz or aftica has to jump through all sort of hoops , but a labourer from eu can move freely ? Little bit double standards really

And again I guarantee uk will see more immigration than emigration so can't be so bad here as many want to come.
How about trying to change and make where you are a better place.
London is not for everyone , same as cornwall isn't , doesn't make either a bad place just suitable for some and not others.
Also where are all these places people are moving to with zero poverty , zero negatives as I don't think such a place exsists, its all about finding a place that fits you.

DP is a citizen of an EU country. We've been considering moving since around the referendum, but stayed because we're mainly happy here - friends, a nice house, stable jobs, etc.

All of our relatives live in DP's home country. We used to visit several times a year, but covid travel restrictions mean they've not been able to meet our baby, who was born this summer. We're now getting everything in order to be able to move once my maternity leave is over.

I don't think the UK - or DP's country - are wrong to have travel restrictions. It's just made it more clear to us that we want to be in the same country as our family.

Well I loved my ten years in London, but we left because we wanted to live in a house with a garden once we had a baby. We ended up (eventually) in Western Australia, and between Brexit and Covid we are very glad we left. There are apparently over 30,000 Aussies trying to get back into Australia at the minute, but flights are limited, expensive and only limited numbers are allowed in so as not to overwhelm the quarantine hotels. Even though only citizens and PR are allowed in to Australia at the minute, it is practically impossible to get a rental at the minute, as so many people have chosen to come back, either international or inter state. Its a big draw that we are practically Covid free, and life is practically normal, apart from not being able to travel internationally. So I wouldn't bash the UK, but I am glad I don't live there now, and I wish my UK family could join me here where it is safe and mask free, for now at least,

This stat is solely about those born abroad, not those both here with dual nationality or Brits... and about leaving the U.K. altogether, not leaving London for other parts of the U.K.

However it does support OP’s observations.

A record 1.3 million immigrants left thr U.K. last year and 700,000 were from London. The biggest exodus since WW2.

If he interested to see full figures on this.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/covid-uk-immigrants-job-loss-b1787785.html

300,000 a year were entering the UK from mainly East Europe after T Blair opened us up - I think it was 2004, might have been 2006. Then it stayed near that level for many years as T May when in the Home Office promised to bring it down below 250,000, I think it was, and failed to make it. So we had 10+ years of v high immigration. Now some are returning home, prob due to Covid and due to the lower value of the pound, which was partly why the UK was so attractive, it's high value against the euro.
Probably a good thing that population in SE reduces, rather than bad.

@Callcat

I would very much like Wales to leave the UK!

Thanks to Brexit dragging our country down, everywhere but England is going to leave the U.K.

Wales has a slightly weaker case since Scotland and Northern Ireland both voted to Remain and have been dragged out and dragged down against the democratic will of their people.

Not once they've done it...

[quote trulydelicious]@MooseBreath

I do not want my son to grow up here, as I have lived elsewhere and it is better

Ingratitude springs to mind, sorry[/quote]
Why?

@PrincessNutNuts

Why

She admits her husband has a good job in the UK (which cannot be done anywhere in the world). This job feeds the family and (presumably) affords the whole family a comfortable life -otherwise they wouldn't be here. Still she's unsatisfied, it doesn't seem to be enough for her and thinks nothing of saying the UK is a substandard place to live in.

@Em777

Why are you here

How about you? Clearly to put the UK down as usual and to push dubious agendas. Nice

[quote trulydelicious]@PrincessNutNuts

Why

She admits her husband has a good job in the UK (which cannot be done anywhere in the world). This job feeds the family and (presumably) affords the whole family a comfortable life -otherwise they wouldn't be here. Still she's unsatisfied, it doesn't seem to be enough for her and thinks nothing of saying the UK is a substandard place to live in.[/quote]
Ah, I see.

If her husband were unemployed you wouldn't call her ungrateful for having an opinion.

I see the Brexit bots have turned up.

It will be mostly Brexit that is making people leave but COVID is making people re-evaluate being close to their relatives. As a combination it is not going to be great for London or any of the inner city areas that relied on immigrant labour.

And to the poster who talked about the mc and their ‘servants’- what we’ll actually be losing is doctors, nurses, care workers, shop assistants and hospital porters. Which is really ideal at the moment, isn’t it?

@PrincessNutNuts

If her husband were unemployed you wouldn't call her ungrateful

But he isn't unemployed, and that's the point.