Anyone thinking of emigrating?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432714#Comment_119432714

Well obviously that's a completely different situation.

It gives you great scope to make a decision about moving.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432615#Comment_119432615

What a load of bollix

Well, yes... it is a load of bollix, because you've interjected a position I didn't make.

Your PRSI/Tax contributions have an expiry date in terms of being relevant. You're still an Irish citizen, so there's no need for a visa, but in every other respect, you are treated the same as any other migrant, without access to the range of supports provided by the NGOs. The practical importance of citizenship or being native has declined over the decades.

And I know this is true as I returned to Ireland after living 13 years abroad.

sReq | uTeK

Left a year ago with wife and 4 kids to NZ. NOT LOOKED BACK

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432747#Comment_119432747

But in the real world returning immigrants don't go looking for "the range of supports provided by NGOs"

They go looking for jobs, and many have jobs organized before they return, it's all part of the decision about moving home in the first place.

So it matters little if their PRSI contributions have expired or that they have not been getting their "stamps" while they were away, because they are not looking for handouts.

But well done introducing a little bit of anti foreigner nonsense into the thread, implying that the returned immigrant is treated worse than the newly arrived foreigner.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119433021#Comment_119433021

But well done introducing a little bit of anti foreigner nonsense into the thread, implying that the returned immigrant is treated worse than the newly arrived foreigner.

There is absolutely nothing anti-foreigner in my post. This is more of the drivel by posters here projecting nonsense on to others so that they can assume some kind of self-appointed position of higher morality. For someone who called bollix, you have no issue with throwing it out yourself.

And you're still not dealing with what I've written. as opposed to interjecting perspectives and running with your own interjection.

Waste of time trying to have a discussion with you.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119433021#Comment_119433021

That poster was sticking up for someone slagging off the Ukrainian refugees last night. That, and the fact that he unironically refers to himself as an “expat,” makes me think that he’s just another Little Irelander abroad.

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432333#Comment_119432333

Dont you know on AH it's always better somewhere else.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119433714#Comment_119433714

No, I was pointing out how you sought to twist his post.. Where did he slag off Ukrainian refugees in that post? (and no, I don't really expect you to provide any evidence to support yourself) He complained about the policies of the Irish government/politicians in relation to the Ukrainian refugee situation.

As for being an expat, I'm in Ireland right now (have been during covid), although I'll be back in Asia soon (end of Sept).

Just another little Irelander.. wow.. #BeKind my ass. You're easily one of the more aggressive/offensive posters on this thread.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432727#Comment_119432727

They went through with brexit ffs!

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432727#Comment_119432727

By the way I don't want to leave Ireland. I also never said I'd choose the UK. I said if I wanted to leave I'd start looking at the UK.

Gant21

I’m off to little Ukraine, treasure Ireland.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119432332#Comment_119432332

This automatically begs the question, why should Ireland house refugees if Ireland can't even house their own? - have you been watching the news lately by any chance? should be fairly straightforward to anyone with half a heart and/or brain

But if one has no family ties to Ireland, but can apparently afford a plane ticket, but expects to be housed and there is no housing available, it automatically raises certain questions. - those exact reasons are part of why half of america claims to be irish tbh

Also the discussion about this subject has gotten sadly a bit liberal-left-ideological in Ireland and other opinions aren't often liked, which doesn't help the situation at all. - its usually not that people dont like opinions that dont agree with theirs, its that they dont like ill-informed, scaremongering rubbish ones

Even more, it's ironical, the ones coming to Ireland, demanding shelter from war, the other ones leaving, as they're not finding any perspectives - thats not irony (i presume you meant its ironic when you said its ironical), irony would be if irish people were going to fight in the ukranian war and then ukranian refuges were getting their houses.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435323#Comment_119435323

I've sadly expected such an answer.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435356#Comment_119435356

i gave 4 answers (well one answer and three responses technically) so which are you talking about?

you 'expected such an answer' any yet you still chose to talk bollox?

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435415#Comment_119435415

All answers.

I find it offensive that you're using the word bollox, just because you don't like my opinion.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435440#Comment_119435440

well feel free to explain where im wrong?

its not true to say i dont like your opinion, its such ill-informed bollox that i nothing it, its not even worth disliking tbh

BaywatchHQ

I detest Northern Ireland for many reasons but I could never leave due to being unemployable. Imagine such a curse, the city I hate most on earth is 40 minutes away. Also the main shopping towns are loyalist towns. I haven't been to the "city of culture" much though, Derry. Maybe I should visit it due to it being a culturally Irish town but I am sure I will hate it too.

One thing that sticks in my head is when I was shopping in Ballymena, Co. Antrim and someone handed me a leaflet and it was some loyalist BNP leaflet. I threw it straight in the bin, it just showed me that I was a local but still a foreigner in many ways. Northern Ireland is such a deranged country.

Andrewf20

I saw a link to a study recently that ranked Ireland 9th and the USA 29th on the work life balance index. Their holiday allowance is poor also.

Ireland can be a pain also alright but overall I found my experiences tended to line up with the report mentioned above. My wife worked in silicon Valley back in the mid 2000s and found that the work culture was way tougher than it was back in Ireland. Better pay but long hours.

Pissy Missy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435758#Comment_119435758

I lived in derry for a few years on the Foyle side but also visited across the bridge too, absolutely lovely place with the loveliest people, I highly recommend it.

Pissy Missy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119440037#Comment_119440037

Not surprised, when I was out there, people were working 2-3 jobs at a time to survive. Not much of a balance at all.

mariaalice

I said this before but the thoughts of emigrating must serve some need in the human psyche and that's kinda alright it's a coping mechanism or maybe a bit of a daydream but the ones who have no insight and really and truly believe it is better somewhere else, its all sunshine and lollipops and no now downside are perplexing how can a grown adult be that stupid.

Ireland is a very wealthy country with social welfare, a democracy, in Europe, and tempered weather.

I saw a brand new tesla with an L sign being driven today by want looked like a teenager.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119442877#Comment_119442877

Or maybe there are sound financial reasons for emigrating. Ireland is still a small nation with limited employment in particularly niche specialisations. Or even without that, there are plenty of industries where too many people have studied for, and the competition for existing jobs is too high. Or perhaps you can't or don't want to spend 200k to buy a shoddy house/apartment, when you can get so much more abroad for the same amount of money?

I originally left Ireland immediately after the Banking crash. Valid financial reasons for doing so... and likely people will do the same when the recession hits Ireland proper.

Ireland is a very wealthy country on paper. It doesn't translate well when looking at the disposable incomes of lower-middle class families, or those from truly working class families. It's a country that has become rather expensive to live in, especially when having a family is factored in. The area of democracy isn't as simplistic as you'd like to make it out to be, when all parties are spouting the same agendas, and you feel that you are not represented in politics.

As for the sunshine and lollipops in other countries, I doubt anyone believes that. In fact, I suspect it only comes from those posters who are so dismissive/judgmental towards those who emigrate.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119442877#Comment_119442877

They say the grass is always greener, sometimes it is and sometimes not, some will never get past the daydream stage but many have.

As a country Ireland's ok, for some it's great and for others it's certainly not, it's pretty good for me; I've worked in several other countries, US, UK and Italy, all have their advantages and failings, tbh the US would still be the only alternative option to Ireland, not sure how the work life balance table is calculated but the US West coast was pretty awesome all round when I was there, I was very tempted to stay but returned due to family commitment, I don't regret that but if only I could turn the temperature up a couple of notches here, hopefully climate change will make it perfect lol, having said that I wont be retiring here.

FYI it's certainly not a wealthy country by most standards, we love to think we are but our prosperity is hugely dependant on outside forces, whatever way the wind blows etc. The financial divide is deepening here and that's going to lead to some very serious issues down the line.

chrissb8

I don't think I would emigrate at this point. I'm only early 30s but I went away for 2 years and knew after that long term I would always be thinking about being back in Ireland. I can absolutely understand anyone wanting to leave for a richer/better life if they can't find it here. As stated, there is simply just not enough employment in certain sectors where those sectors would be thriving in other countries.

I've known a few who are loving life abroad and have no plans of coming back. It's nice to see people thrive and make a life for themselves, I used to have a shade of jealousy about them but I went away to know I wanted to come back so I'm at peace.

One thing about emigrating though is that wherever you go there you are. Moving country isn't going to make any difference if you are just going to be the same as you are in Ireland. I've seen it a few times.

People leave Ireland, thinking their life is finally going to start. End up working some middle of the road job, party a lot and a few years later realise they don't have anything to really show for their time away. Then end up realising oh yeah, I actually have to try and build a life. This isn't always the case as there are those who get lucky and find their feet. But really, if you have no long-term plan and are working towards that you aren't going to be too successful. Because not knowing what you want to do here in Ireland is the exact same as not knowing what to do anywhere else.

Those that have been successful when their away have had a focus on what they want to do and how they will roughly achieve it. Other things like love, friends and life experiences tend to happen along the way.

mariaalice

To clarify my point emigration has always happened and will always happen, everyone in the US bar the native Americans is an immigrant this was pointed out to me by a distant American relative who visited recently we have a great grandfather in common, and one brother went to the US and one stayed here.

My point was about the idea that it's always better somewhere else narrative.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119452821#Comment_119452821

By that definition native Americans are also immigrants since their distant ancestors are meant to have originally migrated from Siberia and East Asia.

I see sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119435758#Comment_119435758

Where do you live?

Ireland's great but let's call a spade a spade and take of the blinkers.

The housing situation is very very dangerous and precarious for a huge cohort of the population. It has been completely mishandled. Those who have justified grievances should not be cast as "whingers".

It's the biggest issue of this generation by a distance.

kernkraft500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119459836#Comment_119459836

-you should get a better paying job

-you should have been planning for this and had a deposit ready

-you have to sacrifice to gain

etc...

all the bullshit excuses of people who haven't tried to buy a home for the first time with an average salary in the current climate..

while there are merits to some of the above, getting your foot on the property ladder without any outside help is turning into an impossible task...

I left Ireland for this vey reason and have owned a house in the UK a number of years now.... 20k deposit between my partner and I, 95% mortgage, taking about 10 months (+5k gift) from "I think we should save for a house" to getting the keys.

Granted 5% deposit mortgages have stop at the moment in the UK, but there are still some amazing 10% deals (if your a customer of the bank, they'll even let away 8% in some cases) ..... the red tape and hoops in Ireland are ridiculous...

Strumms

My cousin is a fairly influential person of the legal profession in the US. His practice have contracts with the state and national government even and he is well regarded as one of the top legal professionals in the country…so he’s influential …. he asked, going back 12 years or so ago if I’d ever be tempted to move there… he saw how much I enjoyed it there, the answer was YES but I had too much going for me at home and just didn’t have the interest…

ive been thinking about it and it’s something I’m genuinely thinking about ….

this country and continent is probably screwed…. Or at best, just changed forever.

opportunities, safety, wellbeing and health are ALL being challenged.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119461372#Comment_119461372

True.. but the US? It's kinda on the front lines of all the changes we're experiencing here.. not just socially/culturally, but also economically. I realise that the US is a huge country, which is very different depending on which State you're interested in, but many of these changes are happening across the board. Also, in the US, there's a rather perverse desire to embrace extremes (as reflected by their politics, and particular fascinations with religion), so, personally.. I'd hesitate rather strongly about moving there long-term.

I've friends who have done very well for themselves living in the States, but.. how much of that will continue in the future? Considering just how much of the US is like a 3rd world nation (poverty, illiteracy, discrimination, unemployment, etc), I'd say to have an exit plan just in case. [As I have whenever I'm living in Asia]

Nigeria is a fine country to emigrate to at the moment. Young population, well educated, growing middle-class, highly tech literate, looking for experts to immigrate to augment the skills they are building up in the country.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119461593#Comment_119461593

Many countries going through the same process, Canada, China (yep that one) and Australia also make some appealing offers to build their skills bases.

20,000 emigrated last year it said on the radio. Mostly to London, 2 Lads gave reasons on the radio today, their reasons for emigrating, partying was 1, no tax to pay in Dubai the other.