UK mauled by mass exodus

Published 04th Jun 2008

New figures suggest that Brits are increasingly falling out of love with Blighty…

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) more than 200,000 Britons emigrated during 2006. From 1997 to 2006 1.97million left the UK and according to Jay Winter, of Yale University who has compiled emigration figures. The last comparable exodus from the UK was in 1911-1914 when 2.4 million left.

In a separate study, the Institute of Public Policy Research found that there are currently more than 5.5 million British citizens are living abroad.

Senior research Fellow Jill Rutter, commented: “The figures show the biggest emigration wave from Britain in absolute numbers, although a larger proportion of the population left during the 1930s and in the middle of the 19th century. Many of the latest wave are Britons who have retired abroad, although only just over 6% of Britons leaving the country were over retirement age. The most popular destination was Australia.

UK ‘not the country it once was’?
She added: “The outflow has been balanced by 3.9 million foreigners who arrived over the decade, including more than 500,000 in 2006, which is the highest emigration ever. There are three reasons for it. First of all, prosperity, which means you have more lifestyle emigrants, early retirees who move to Spain or whatever.

"Second, there is the globalisation of international business, which means there are many more Brits working abroad, and people from minority-ethnic communities who had immigrated to the UK returning home. And thirdly, many of the Brits who leave the UK are from minority-ethnic communities who have previously immigrated to the UK, worked here for a time and now they're leaving."

Robert Nixon, Director of UK Operations at Nirvana International, concluded: “Sadly things in the UK have changed over the years and many people feel it was not the country it once was”.

Source: ' Move Channel Ltd '

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