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Rovers return: The expats who miss Corrie and curry too much
Some Britons 'boomerang' back from life abroad for surprising reasons. The UAE sees many make a swift exit, while the US and Oz tend to attract longstayers ...
Missing family and friends and British food such as Marmite, curry and fish and chips are the commonest reasons for expats to return to Britain.
However, nine per cent said they missed the British weather and 15 per cent found they couldn’t live without TV shows such Coronation Street and EastEnders.
When it comes to the destinations that tend to lead to a sharp exit, the United Arab Emirates saw the biggest ‘boomerang’ effect. The average stay there is just six months, compared to two years in Australia and New Zealand and five years in North America.
While there was little difference in men and women’s attitudes to most of the countries surveyed by Robinsons Relocation (robinsonsrelo.com), the UAE divided the genders. Men return home after an average six months, while women are more likely to stay for up to three years, according to online poll of 1,000 former expats.
Sarah Bladen, a Briton who has detailed her search for love in Dubai in her Single Girl in the UAE column for Telegraph Expat said: "I'm surprised that some men return to the UK after six months. Usually they come to the UAE and think they've found paradise since it's an evolving, dynamic city with a perma-sunny climate, great career opportunities and beautiful women from all around the globe.
"Having said that, the UAE is a little like Marmite in that you either love or loathe it. Some people find the excessive materialism and over-the-top lifestyle too superficial, and prefer the more down-to-earth, genuine environment that the UK offers. Either that, or perhaps the job they relocated for, wasn't what they expected. Most expats move here for work after all."
"However, given that the demographic of boomerang UAE expats seems to be men, I'd say that the survey caught a high proportion of those on short contracts or those who have been seconded by their UK company to work on a particular project in the UAE for a limited time.”
She added: "Another reason why expats would leave the UAE would be because there is no permanent residency or citizenship available. So every expat in the UAE is, potentially, a boomerang. It's just a matter of how long before they decide to leave.
"As to those returning home just because they miss fish and chips and Corrie – personally, I've never met an expat who would leave for such shallow reasons."
According to Becky Lucas, who left Dubai after seven years to live in London, the time of year that people make the move may also be a factor.
"For four and a half months of the year, Dubai's weather is difficult to deal with, especially for those who are new and aren't acclimatised. I wonder if these 'six-monthers' moved in June and made up their minds to leave the hot weather before the end of October, when the weather is nicer again," she said.