Emigration - Please release me ,let me go -
Fewer Britons are emigrating because falling incomes and pensions mean hundreds of thousands have abandoned the dream of retirement or a new life abroad.
The recession has also reduced the number of Britons able to take jobs elsewhere in the world.
Emigration fell by more than a fifth in two years after the recession began in 2008.
'Emigration has continued to fall, down over 20 per cent since 2008, meaning that "net inward migration", the Conservatives' chosen target, remains high at 239,000, a 21 per cent increase on 2009.'
A personal view.
The reasons why fewer people are emigrating is given that many have abandoned the dream of leaving Rotten Britain because of falling incomes and pensions but nothing could be further from the truth.
Moving abroad is a complex business and the time has come for the UK Government to see what obstructions it puts in the potential emigrant’s way.
I am mainly referring here to the retired and early retired who collect occupational, private and state pensions, because other countries have rightly closed the door on many immigrant taking their national jobs.
What are the main reasons why “pensioners” don’t emigrate ?
- Pension increments – refused in so many countries the UK law is absurd if you look at the list of countries where emigrants can and cannot get their pensions transferred to and UK increments honoured. For example in the Philippines you can and Thailand you can’t. Just look at the ridiculous list of countries where reciprocal “arrangements’ with the UK do and do not exist.
2 Health – Leave the UK for a day over six months and a UK citizen loses the right to remain on a GP list, receive treatment and for free NHS treatment other than emergencies.
What right minded pensioner can afford that? One who paid into the NHS all his life.
3 Money – Taxation and off shore banking, transfer of pensions and capital are fraught with complications for those not based in the UK. This is not always made easy by other countries but if you live abroad why pay full tax on UK pensions. Even reclaiming tax rebate on interest earned in the UK while abroad is complicated and often refused on spurious grounds.
4 British Embassies abroad treat British emigrants as pariahs and I am speaking from experience. I shall say no more unless paid for the information.
5 UK Property – apart from the obvious of not burning ones boats, retaining a property in the UK is a safety net. However getting an Estate Agent to manage it with the duty of care expected is impossible due to current laws against own home letting Landlords and legal obstructions against fair trading standards of Estate Agents.
If the UK Government could address these matters seriously then half the pensioners in Britain would gladly leave to live abroad. And I don’t just mean in Europe.
Emigrants need to feel that there is a safety net which is the simple opportunity to return. The country they want to reside in only has certain obligations to respect.
I do not think these 5 are impossible to overcome.
I believe once a citizen has retired they should be able to live where they wish with all their pension entitlements as those who remain at home. In fact while they are not using UK resources special dispensations should be given.
There are other issues to moving abroad :-
Moving your stuff
Renting or Buying
Cost of Living
Wills and Inheritance
Other legal issues including safety
Language
Pets
Culture shock
Entertainment
Discrimination against colour, creed and gender
I was able to overcome or at least come to terms with all these other issues but what I could not overcome was the obstructions placed in front of me by the UK Government.
Because of the problems stated I returned to the UK to live after 5 years abroad.
The Radical.
Get in touch if you agree !
