Gloomy outlook in Blighty keeps expats far away

Vicky Maisey: 'Every time I make the list of reasons, it tells me to stay'
Vicky Maisey: 'Every time I make the list of reasons, it tells me to stay'

Britons living abroad are being put off returning because of the gloomy UK economy and difficulties selling foreign property. The number of expatriates returning fell last year to its lowest level in two decades.

In the year to March 2012, an estimated 73,000 British citizens moved back to Britain — a fall of 19,000 compared with the 12 months before. This is the lowest number recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) since it began surveying UK borders in 1991.

“The economic situation is the main reason I don’t return,” said Vicky Maisey, 35, from Shrewsbury, who is now a teacher in Chicago. “Every time I make the list of reasons for and against coming home, it overwhelmingly tells me to stay here.”

Christian