People Returning from Abroad to Life in the UK

[Scunner]

There is a very interesting feature on the BBC website - showing that the rate of Brits who emigrated to Australia but now returning to the UK (and Australians living here going back down under permanently) is on the increase. In fact, one comment says that they were a family in a group of 25 families who emigrated to Adelaide in just 2005 - only 4 families are still there six years on.

I think we are seeing something similar in Turkey too. Missing family and not feeling like you truly belong are two main reasons given for Brits not staying in Oz.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15799571

[mercury]

Most people I know of here Keith and it is getting more common now for people to be leaving ang going back to the UK is ill health or the fear of ill health and some people just running out of money.There are those of course who are just bored with the place and the weather isnt enough to keep them here. Not a lot of them are going on about missing their families to the extent that they would go home to be with them. It could be also that Australia is a damned sight further away from the UK than Turkey and also a younger generation than those settling here.

[Scunner]

Yes I think missing family from Australia is a bit harder than missing family from Turkey Anne - there's also the realisation many Brit expats experience when they get there that it is not quite a new life but a similar life to the one they left behind but with more sun ("same ****, shinier bucket" is a phrase used!). I also read that one in four British marriages break up within two years (as I recall) of arriving there to start the exciting new life. That I have to say I noticed with Brits in Turkey too, maybe not quite 25% of them but I would say definitely more than in the UK as a whole.

We didn't particularly miss family ourselves, as both sides of the family were a plane journey away from us before we moved to Turkey and lived in England (family nearly all in Scotland/N. Ireland) so visits to see us always involved a journey - just sitting on the plane a bit longer than before for us visiting them and them visiting us. As we moved to Scotland rather than back to England the girls were really taken by the number of aunties, uncles and cousins they discovered on their doorstep here and still love that. The interesting one for me is "not feeling that you truly belong" - I'm not sure if I'd say that or not about our time in Turkey. I did find that not learning the language enough didn't help, our fault of course but I suppose yes, I don't think the Turkish (great though most of them are) would ever consider us to be truly one of them, no matter how often they say it  

[Julesp]

My sister just returned to the Uk last year after 33 years in Australia
She felt now she is older she wanted to be nearer family and had had enough of the hot weather, shes moved to Poole Dorset and is loving it

[stoop]

I know a family who have been there (Oz) and back 3 times. They are on the 4th try now I think.

Thing is it's much easier these days to just go for a few years and come back if it doesn't work out.

[Janice1971]

When I moved to Turkey 5 years ago I never expected or wanted to come back to the UK, unfortunately after our business failed I had no choice.  If we were still trading I think that I would still be happy and settled in Turkey.  Saying that, back then it was far easier to find a bargain flight back to the UK, I dont know how I would feel if I couldnt afford to come back to visit family or if they couldnt have afforded to come out as often as they did.  I loved waking up to sunshine, I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life but the 2 years that I was in Turkey I never suffered with it once.  I loved the size of apartment that we had and the fantastic views that we had of the mountains.  I felt safe letting my daughter play outside and of course the large extended family that we had, there was never a dull moment, I especially enjoyed our Sunday BBQ's on the beach where the whole of the family used to spend the day playing games and eating lovely food.  The two things that I didnt like about Turkey was the worry of healthcare in case anything happened to me or my daughter and also the in-laws could be quite overbearing, apart from that it was a very special time in my life.

[BM06]

Well having lived in Turkey for over 12 years we have returned to the UK for family reasons (we miss the grand children never had them when we moved over)and the feeling that you will never fit in imho will always be there, also the Ex pats that have made Turkey their home in the last 4/5 years have again (imho) have tried to change the area of Ovacik instead of trying to fit in with the way of life here, and just get on with their own lives, they seem to have brought that bit of the UK with them that was one of the reasons I left, Turkey (ovacik)for me has changed in so many ways that for me its lost its charm and pulling power, I have got to the stage where I always replied when asked ''do you live ear'' no I am on holiday, it was usually a Turkish friend that referred them my way trying to help with advice and I would end up having a row because I was giving advice and facts that did not suit what they had been told by the barman/waiter, I have seen so many fools that have lost everything they owned, they did not listen to advice given freely by people that had been in the situation they were/are heading for. The one blessing is a forum like CBF springing up in 2003, I just wished the boss had thought of the idea earlier I am 100% sure that it would have saved some (not all) from a total disaster, it has help me no end and saved me money (yes money) since I have been a member/visitor, so lets see what awaits me in the UK at the moment I can honestly say I and my wife are not missing Turkey one bit, and has been said on CBF before its nice to go shopping and get what you want and desire (how nice is that galaxy bubbles bar?) its early days(August) yet, I have kept my homes in Turkey and I will be back to get my dogs in Feb (must be mad, but I love and miss them so much) I always kept a home in England and my advice is and always will be for anyone that has not purchased a property, rent first, keep a base in the UK, Turkey to live is not for everyone, I would also say I have met some fantastic friends both Turkish and UKish. Also my youngest daughter has a career in the UK that she would never have had but for her Education (cost me a fortune)in Turkey, so for all you newbies take a step back and enjoy your new found home, my last and probably most important piece of FREE advice, if you are not sure of ANYTHING ask on CBF first I am sure someone will now something/someone who can help! (and might just might save you some pennies)

[starman™]

It would be 20 years for me next year. All I can say is that I am ready to move on and would do in a blink of an eye. For me its boredom and need a new change and after getting divorced a few years ago, to get away from that part of my life too as I am still dreading the day I bump into the ex-mother in law.
Another factor I see a lot of expats leaving, especially here in Istanbul where there are decent international schools, is education. International schools charge around 30,000 USD per child and not everyone can afford that. State schools are a hell of a lot cheaper but the quality isnt there under the milli egitim curriculum.
I have had a lot of friends and especially expats married to Turks leave and go back to their home countries just because of this very reason.

[Colwyn]

I recall that many years (perhaps 2005?) ago someone posted on CBF statistics of the percentage of British people who moved to  Turkey who later returened to the UK (I think the poster was starman - without the TM). At that time, many people replied that the proportion of migrants reported was ludicrously high and that they knew of hardly anybody who had returned, or was planning to return, to the UK. I thought that in large part the stats might be boosted by those who had deliberately come to Turkey for business reasons and always intended to do a two or three year tour of duty for their (multi-national) company before moving on.

Now it seems I read. not just on CBF, about more and more ex-pats who are either retirees, or had previously intended to stay permanently, and are now returning to the UK (or perhaps off to the next stop - e.g. Bulgaria). Perhaps there is a sort of "natural" life cycle of a wave of people moving out during the early and mid 2000s and then moving back in the late 2000s and early 2010s being replaced by another wave of migrants.

[Scunner]

I remember that too, and in 2005 I hadn't heard of anyone who had or was planning to return - but soon after I knew a few, and the number has slowly increased year on year ever since. I think most British settlers in the Fethiye certainly arrived with a view to being there forever (I certainly did) but although we had many positive reasons to move on, I did find it an incredibly frustrating place to live - perhaps if we had retired there and had all the time in the World it may have been different - but getting ticket number 966 in the post office when they are only on 227 seemed such a waste of my time and the same at the bank and so many other places. Trying to get things done usually meant visiting half a dozen different offices and faces, some of them twice! As time passes, what was once so incredibly exciting can become incredibly frustrating. I am sure this is the same for Turks moving to the UK too.

Ultimately for us anyway the pull to live in Scotland became as strong as the pull to live in Turkey had - and I suppose people who are 'daft' enough to up sticks and move abroad are also likely to want to up sticks again. Those there to retire and enjoy the sun will want to move on less so, and as long as the finances still stack up will normally stay.