Today Tonight - Poms returning to UK

**Jessica Berry** · 04-08-2011, 12:26 PM

Did anyone see the story on Today Tonight about the poms in Perth going back to the UK and handing back their Australian citizenship?

What surprised me were the figures they were quoting. According to Today Tonight in the last financial year 15,555 people emigrated from the UK to Australia, but in the same financial year 7,127 british migrants permanently left Australia. They then did a comparison with Indian migration and 15,626 Indians migrated to Australia in the same financial year but only 849 returned to India.

I know they usually quote one third who emigrate from the UK to Australia return back to the UK, but on those figures you are looking at nearly half returning back to the UK.

**shella_n** · 04-08-2011, 12:56 PM

Someone at work was talking about this today and we ended up having quite a discussion about it. I've seen so many people go home for such a wide range of reasons - can't get jobs, not what they expected, miss family etc etc - u just don't know when u board that plane how it's going to turn out for you.

For us it's worked out well and we have no plans to go hone - but never say never - who knows what the future will bring.

I think one of themajor problems facing those who are about to arrive is thd job situation - and I hate to say it but I believe that a higher number of people than usual will end up going home cause they can't get work.

**wizzywozza** · 04-08-2011, 01:00 PM

It's more difficult for an Indian person to return to India if they are an Australian citizen, as they have to renounce their Indian citizenship once they get Aussie citizenship, and therefore have to apply to return to India as a migrant!

**smit** · 04-08-2011, 01:06 PM

I would say more difficult to get a job as an indian also

**thebacons** · 04-08-2011, 01:34 PM

Things fall apart for different people for different reasons.
If you dont go you will never know.

**jim and adel** · 05-08-2011, 03:40 AM

I agree about the jobs, and unless some balance can be struck in the 'two speed' Aus economy I can't see it changing soon.

Also, it's interesting to see how the discussion about cost of living between Aus and UK has changed over the last seven or eight years. When we were first considering making the move, Australia was undoubtedly considerably cheaper on just about every front, and a commonly aired dilemma was whether to live mortgage free or go for the really big house and take out a small mortgage ...

Jim

**lynsteve** · 05-08-2011, 04:13 AM

still is cheap if you earn alot, but expensive if you don't, also years ago there was no mobile plans, foxtel, internet connections etc etc. Do we really need them?? Takeaway those costs on a weekly basis....we have just sold a car as we do not need it now, so theres a big yearly saving

stevo

**m.jephcott** · 05-08-2011, 04:21 AM

When we first moved to Australia in 2004 I was told that around 50% of new migrants would return to the UK within the first year and that of these 50% would return to Australia, I don't know how many of these then stay on permanently. I was also told that around 30% of couples married or otherwise would split up in the first year ( not sure I believe that one).

**jim and adel** · 05-08-2011, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by lynsteve

still is cheap if you earn alot, but expensive if you don't, also years ago there was no mobile plans, foxtel, internet connections etc etc. Do we really need them?? Takeaway those costs on a weekly basis....we have just sold a car as we do not need it now, so theres a big yearly saving

stevo

Well that's the same the world over, but I'm talking about cheap in comparison to another place. Obviously people can cut back on things they don't need; nothing new there or specific to why more UK migrants are going back to the UK (if they are, I haven't seen any figures on this).

I do think that sometimes the aspirations/expectations of some migrants are partly based on the experiences of those who have gone before them, and when the reality they face on moving proves to be very different to these expectations it can be a jolt. Certainly I know people back in the UK who still believe it's massively cheaper in Aus because of family members' experiences from moving 15 or 20 years ago. Their 'mental map' of the place hasn't kept pace with how things have changed.

Jim

**Scousemouse** · 05-08-2011, 08:14 AM

this topic came up in work at our place today, too.
One guy, a tradey, was saying it was really hard to get work on building sites, and even the guys who do houseframing where being told to "take their time"!
He actually said the english get the hardest time of it; and are often the first to get "laid off"; im not sure how true this is, but he's an ozzy in the "know", i suppose! He himself was over in QLD, and the situation there is even worse, despite the recent weather disasters.

It's a shame these people are leaving, the story was a bit slanted though, surely ANY council would be the same to ozzies or anyone else, same as in the uk!