Moving abroad with teenagers and declining uk political env

[Spacecow123]

I’ve been wanting to move abroad for a very long time, so long in fact that my kids are now teenagers 16 and 13. I’m now thinking should I just let the dream go or wait till the next point when my eldest is in university and youngest doing level? If we did move would they ultimately need to come back to the UK for uni anyway? I wouldn’t mind the Middle East, Singapore but I feel really stuck now that I didn’t do it earlier and it’s crunch time in terms of majors academic milestones. The declining political environment is also a major factor for me, I always thought the uk was a tolerant place to live but farrage and his cronies lied to us about brexit and now are doing the same thing with reform. Beggars belief, how do people forget so easily? What future will the next generation be living under?

Where in the Middle East do you think has better & more tolerant politics than here?

Going to the Middle East I’d say you’re going from the frying pan into not the fire, but an inferno.

Dubai and AD have lots of uk nationals who live safely and freely

What academic year is you sixteen year old in now?

I think you should go sooner rather than later. We’ve lived all over but what happens when your dc are older teens is that they have lives of their own. Sports, friends, relationships and they don’t want to go elsewhere.

If this was me, I’d go in august so the sixteen year old is doing his A levels in a British school in the ME and the youngest won’t have started his GCSEs.

It doesn’t mean those places are tolerant. It just means that those UK nationals earn enough to be able to afford security and are heterosexual and fairly certain they’ll have heterosexual children.

If you’re going to Dubai for the lifestyle, then say so. Don’t pretend that the way the U.K. is heading is a driver in your move if you’re heading somewhere worse.

Bear in mind the residency qualification to count as home students for uni. Three years living in uk before starting, not merely here for education (ie boarding school), unless living abroad as part of government or armed services placements. UAE is a very specific way of life and the best schools difficult to get places at. Being an expat means adjusting to transient friendships and a different culture.

Too late for DC1 and it seems unlikely that your DC will want to do what in the UK is sixth form overseas. Your wishes don’t seem compatible with what theirs are likely to be and what will be best for them.

im not the one pretending where is my light, farrage is..

Declining political environment in the UK.. and you'd choose the Middle East or Singapore?
Are you actually serious?

Good point, re the residency qualifications

thanks Tuscan, there is a small window for us. Did you find many decent university options when you lived abroad? Did you do it with teens and how did they cope?

@opyour concern is for how UK citizens are treated in the UK, but you have no concerns over how UAE citizens are treated there……

have a lovely time in Dubai. Live, laugh, love, etc.

Thank you

It is called democracy

I am a bit confused. Declining political environment in the UK still isn’t the ME or Singapore.

Yes, I'm just confused about why someone wants to leave the UK to start a new life in either of those places, would reject Brexit and Farage? It seems contradictory to me.

he declining political environment is also a major factor for me, I always thought the uk was a tolerant place to live but farrage and his cronies lied to us about brexit and now are doing the same thing with reform. Beggars belief, how do people forget so easily? What future will the next generation be living under?
and you’ve narrowed down your options to the Middle East or Singapore, lol.

Madness isn’t it?!
As a woman I’d never move to the ME.

Are you planning on working OP? If you live in the ME you’ll need permission from your husband to have a job. How does that sit with you?

What does this mean?

Why do you keep spelling Farage farrage?

Bot.

The UK residency rules for university fees also applies to qualifying for loans too. So moving abroad with teenage children could be very costly.

The rules state: Need to be UK resident for three years before the first day of term.

UK fees are about £9k each year. international fees about £30k.

Student loans can get written off if the student never earns enough. Private loans do not.

It might be cheaper to study in another country instead of coming back to the UK.

you know who built all that luxury, right? and what happens to people who even unwittingly break their laws?

Don't come back here whining when you don't like the reality of life there.

@Spacecow123 whilst I agree with you politically , and our reasons are similar - Dubai and Middle East in general is not my bag and yes I have been several times- I’m not into a bling, anything goes, money trumps everything culture - we lived in Denmark for 2 years and had to come back for a family situation but as we have a business with lots of EU interests are looking at leaving g again - Sweden would be our first choice but isa total pain to get into if self employed ( even high earning and all income from outside Sweden) Netherlands a bit more straight forward although have to jump through a few hoops - Spain and Italy easier as have nomad visa but H doesn’t fancy unless semi retired- France, not liking direction there , very prone to same as uk I think and I have friends who find the beurocracy a nightmare - easier if ‘not working’
Singapore - we have friends there, again it wouldn’t be for us - but is more appealing than Middle East I feel but it’s not great distance wise if you need to come back to UK much -

We came back when my dc were similar ages to yours are now so they had stability through secondary school. My oldest went to five primary schools but one secondary.

Dubai is a dictatorship with a dismal human rights record, high levels of surveillance, a heavily-censored press, and an increasing record of ‘disappearing’ even its own citizens who want greater accountability and democracy!