Boomerang Brits

Source: Wikicommons

Quick to go abroad but equally quick to return home. This is the impression that a segment of the British expat population has given in a recent survey, earning themselves the moniker ‘Boomerang Brits’.

There have been a number of reasons bandied about to explain this behavior which has seen British expats return home from destinations like Australia after just a year of living. Is it because Brits get particularly homesick? Perhaps they miss a good cup of tea and simply can’t cope? Perhaps not.

One slightly more feasible reason is that the UK recession has made it incredibly hard to get a job. This has prompted many people to move abroad and look for work on a short-term visa. This has been especially relevant for university graduates who have found themselves competing against hundreds and sometimes thousands of candidates for just one role.

Despite this trend findings from our 2012 Expat Explorer survey found that  89% of British expats have actually been in their host country  for over 3 years compared to a global average of 76%. The survey also revealed that whilst 78% of British expats reported having a  strong connection to their home country this was less than the global average of 84%. In fact, 72% reported that they felt a strong connection to their host country – higher than the global average of 64%.

Finally, only 7% of British expats that took part in this year’s Expat Explorer survey said that they are actively looking to move back home or to another location and 71% are looking to stay put.

It’s possible that the younger generation of expat are responsible for the ‘Boomerang’ claims as further findings from this year’s survey revealed that moving for short-term career gain was most popular among those expats migrating to the Middle East.

Do you think we are becoming less inclined to settle down? Or are you a long-term expat who is happy staying put? Leave us a comment below.