Divorce from the EU has little effect on Italian migration to the UK. Work, profession, and wages: these are the reasons why young people continue to flee the lovely nation.
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| Italian expats doubled in UK |
Brexit's consequences have shifted the minds of many Britons, who, according to the most recent surveys, want to rejoin the EU today. Those who have not altered their minds about the United Kingdom, on the other hand, are the numerous Italians who leave their nation each year to relocate to London and its environs. The National Statistics Office polled 280,000 Italians living in the United Kingdom in 2021, more than double the number 10 years earlier and 40% higher than in 2016, when the United Kingdom decided to exit the European Union. And the actual number of Italians in the nation would be substantially larger than the numbers show.
"About half of them live in London, where Italians have overtaken Indians and Poles as the most common foreign nationality for the first time in recent history," according to Bloomberg. Nonetheless, the UK's withdrawal from the EU has complicated the lives of 'expats'.
Europeans who wish to reside across the Channel must now apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, which permits EU nationals to stay in the UK after Brexit. There were 600,000 applications till September of last year, the greatest amount among Western European nations. But why do so many Italians desire to reside in the United Kingdom?
"While the UK economy struggles, it remains appealing to many Italians seeking to escape high unemployment, stagnant earnings, a harsh economic climate, and restricted growth at home," the statement said. Bloomberg provides insight into the Italian brain drain. To put the disparity into perspective, consider that the average yearly pay in London is roughly 40 thousand pounds, or around 44,500 euros, whereas the average annual wage in Milan is 38 thousand euros. And, while the unemployment rate in Italy is slightly under 8%, it is less than half that in the United Kingdom, at 3.7%.