The U.K. now ranks as less politically stable than Greece or Egypt, and the U.S. isn’t far behind, according to an extensive global survey of expatriates.
Political turmoil over Brexit means the U.K. is now among the world’s least desirable destinations for expats. Out of 64 countries ranked by the InterNations Expat Insider survey, Britain ranks 57th for political stability and 58th overall, down 25 spots since the vote to leave the European Union in 2016.
The survey is conducted annually by Munich-based InterNations, a network of 3.6 million expatriates. More than 20,000 of them, including retirees, students, executives and skilled workers, were asked to rate the places they live on a variety of metrics. Some countries, including trouble spots like Sudan, Syria and Venezuela, weren’t ranked because there were too few respondents.
“Expats in the U.K. now see the economy and their job security in a much more negative way,” said InterNations co-Chief Executive Officer Malte Zeeck. “This whole uncertainty surrounding Brexit has definitely influenced other factors.”
The U.S. has also seen its reputation plummet as a destination for foreigners, according to the survey. As recently as 2014, expats rated the country as the fifth-most-desirable place to move. It ranks 47th this year.
Politics are to blame in the U.S., too. For the third year in a row -- since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 -- the nation’s political stability was rated below Russia’s.
The U.S. and U.K. are also both seen by expats as less inviting than a few years ago.
“When we arrived we felt welcome, but we haven’t since the Brexit vote,” said Gael Panhelleux, executive director of Focus, a London-based membership group for expats in the U.K. The 51-year-old, originally from Paris, said she worries about how the nation’s political climate is affecting her children, who have been insulted when overheard speaking French on the way home from school.
“It’s been a tough few years,” she said. “We love the country and want to stay and feel welcomed.”
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