Reasons for returnee UK expats include TV and British food

A recent survey has revealed the reasons why expat heaven turns to expat hell.

The study, undertaken by a UK relocation company, unsurprisingly revealed that missing family and friends was the strongest reason for a move back to the UK, with just under 40 per cent of respondents citing it. British food came second, with 18 per cent saying they missed favourites such as Marmite and real fish and chips.

British TV was another draw, with 15 per cent saying they couldn’t adjust to the programmes provided in their host countries, and missing being around British people caused 12 per cent to rush for the nearest airport. The strangest reason of all was the British weather, with nine per cent of those surveyed saying they couldn’t wait to get back and unfurl their umbrellas.

The survey also revealed that the UAE was the country most likely to provoke a fast exit for many expats, with the average stay in the desert emirates just six months. Australia and New Zealand fared better, with two years being the average period of time before homesickness set in.

Expats who’d headed to North America tended to put down at least five-year roots, dependent on their jobs and the cities in which they’d settled as well as difficulties in getting work visas to enable them to stay longer. Countries such as the UAE, Thailand and others which don’t offer straightforward citizenship or permanent residency tended to lose their charm far faster than those which do.

Brits in the UK have a reputation for continually moaning about the weather, with good reason after the last two of three years, but many UK expats find it impossible to deal with searing heat for a good few months every year. Expat retirees on good pensions have the best of both worlds, staying in tropical climes during the cooler seasons and jetting off to cooler countries when the mercury climbs, a trend invented by the USA’s notorious ‘snowbirds’.