The floodgates have opened. A huge influx of foreign nationals is flocking to EU countries, forcing up house prices and putting pressure on local economies. Not the eastern European electricians and Polish plumbers arriving on our shores, but Brits moving to Spain or France.
The UK's emigration rate has rocketed in recent years. Estimates from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggest more than 5.5m UK-born people live abroad permanently, equivalent to 9% of the population. Another half-million reside outside the country for part of the year. This means there are currently more Brits overseas than there are foreign born citizens settled here. Or at least according to the official statistics, for even the Government has little idea about the level of illegal immigration.
Nonetheless, emigration from the UK remains a major phenomenon. Australia still has the highest number of British expats, but those with itchy feet are increasingly likely to relocate to the Continent. And it is no longer just retirees wanting to live out their days in sunnier climes; two-thirds of those decamping leave to gain employment. Frequently these are well-educated and enterprising individuals. Others are skilled trades people - such as builders and mechanics - who feel undervalued in Britain.
And the UK is not alone in losing workers. 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet' has become 'Willkommen sweetheart' as Germany, the country which coined the term 'Gastarbeiter' (guest worker) to describe the rapid inflows of the 1960s, sees craftsmen desert the Fatherland, complaining of low wages and high taxes.
Rising numbers of Dutch and French workers are also crossing borders, the latter coming to Britain in droves because of its more relaxed labour regulations. This new Norman invasion has led London to be dubbed the 'fourth biggest French city'.
David Coleman, Professor of Demography at Oxford University, believes Europeans have different motives for migrating. 'In France, for example, high youth unemployment and taxation force many young workers to leave,' he says. 'But it is not exclusively an economic question across Europe. Emigration rates from the Netherlands - which is very prosperous - are four times Britain's. The Dutch are escaping overcrowding and a lack of amenities.'
In Britain, it has mainly been the strength of the economy that has been encouraging the exodus, not its deficiencies. The strong pound and soaring house prices have enabled people to buy bigger properties when they move abroad. Rather than leaving to make their fortunes, many up sticks to spend them.
But what is the worry when there are now more people entering the country than leaving?
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