"I just don't want to struggle anymore; I’m tired of it all."
One in seven young Asian and Black Britons are making firm plans to exit the UK, a new study suggests.
Several key factors contribute to why British Black and Asian people contemplate leaving the UK. These include job market conditions, perceptions of discrimination and the search for better living conditions.
A survey by research consultancy Word on the Curb found that 15% of Asian and Black Britons aged 18 to 34 actively explore emigrating options.
Moreover, 51% of those polled said they had recently considered moving abroad.
The study found that the cost-of-living crisis was a significant factor, influencing the decision to leave for 39% of the respondents.
Twenty-eight per cent of the respondents cited dissatisfaction with the government as another key reason, while 19% pointed to racial inequality as a factor.
According to the Word on the Curb, the statistics should trigger fears of an “exodus” of young first and second-generation immigrant Britons.
The organisation’s Chief Executive, Ndubuisi Uchea, stated:
“Participants shared their fears, from the country’s economic crisis and inhibited socioeconomic mobility to concerns about raising children in big cities and the demoralising housing crisis.
“These experiences often marginalise and other-ise young minority Brits, adversely affecting their mental and emotional well-being.”
Indeed, this is reflected in the words of Shakeria, a 30-year-old single mother in Birmingham speaking to DESIblitz:
“This last year, I’ve been actively looking for work opportunities abroad.
“I just don’t want to struggle anymore; I’m tired of it all.
“I barely use gas and electric and my energy bills are scary, companies get rich stealing from us.
“It feels like here, if you’re not rich, you just get done over, with taxes, with everything. Why should we suffer?
“I want to be more financially stable. I don’t see that happening in England.
“Plus, for mine and my son’s health, going to Malaysia or Dubai would be so much better. I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.”
In turn, Aisha, a 26-year-old who’s planning to leave the UK for Dubai, said:
“A series of events led to my decision to move and it was really triggered by Brexit.
“I think that Brexit is one of the most vindictive, xenophobic things that our government has ever done to young people […]”
Issues of discrimination and racism continue to be a concern.
In the year ending March 2023, 70% of hate crimes in England and Wales were racially motivated. Thus accounting for over two-thirds of such offences.
For Aisha, the impact of Brexit has been detrimental and profound.
She stated that Brexit “denied us the benefits of being in the European Union and the opportunity to move freely across the continent”.
Aisha added: “From there, everything has started getting worse in the last year or so. In terms of young people’s quality of life.”
Loading ...