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One in seven young Black and Asian Britons are making concrete plans to leave the UK due to government failings, racism and economic worries, a new study suggests.
A survey by research consultancy Word on the Curb found 15 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds in this group are actively exploring options to emigrate, while a further 51% of those polled said they had recently thought about moving abroad.
Among key reasons given for wanting to leave, 39 per cent of respondents cited the cost of living crisis, 28 per cent dissatisfaction with the current government, while 19 per cent said racial inequality was a factor.
The figures have fuelled fears an “exodus” of young first and second generation immigrant Britons would cause another blow to the UK economy, Word on the Curb said.
Aisha, a 26-year-old who’s planning to leave the UK for Dubai, told The Independent that Brexit and the cost of living crisis had contributed to her decision emigrate.
She said: “A series of events led to my decision to move and it was really triggered by Brexit.
“I think that Brexit one of the most vindictive, xenophobic things that our government has ever done to young people which denied us the benefits of being in the European Union and the opportunity to move freely across the continent.
“From there, everything has started getting worse in the last year or so, in terms of young people’s quality of life”.
Frustrated by the soaring rent prices and the cost of living toll, Aisha, inspired by a friend who quit Britain for better prospects, explained that these are additional factors that are driving her out of the country too.
“I can’t afford to live in London anymore,” she added. “I cannot live where I grew up and that’s annoying me. I have to go very, very far out.
“I see that a lot of Londoners are moving to place like the Midlands and then that’s displacing people in the Midlands, because the rents are going up; so we’re being displaced and we’re displacing other people which I don’t like.”
Project manager Folu, 33, aims to find a place where he can thrive both professionally and personally, away from the deteriorating social landscape marked by rising racism and anti-immigrant sentiments in the UK.
Figures from the Office of Statistics shows race hate crimes across England and Wales have increased by 190 per cent in the last 10 years.
Folu said: “If there’s one key issue that’s making me want to leave the country, it’s the level of racism.
“It became visual when we had the Brexit referendum and then it became as clear as day when the George Floyd, Black Lives Matter incident happened,” he said.
Pointing to the Rwanda Bill, he said migrants are “villified” in the UK.
The Black Pound report, published in 2022, found Black, Asian and multi-ethnic consumer segments in the UK hold £4.5 billion in annual disposable income, with £375 million available to spend monthly.
Word on the Curb is warning that an exodus of young Black and Asian Britons means the economy stands to lose a significant portion of this spending power.
The organisation’s chief executive, Ndubuisi Uchea, said: “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.”
Word On The Curb surveyed 1,600 individuals from ethnic minority communities, with more than two-thirds of young Britons polled describing the UK as having a low quality of life. This stance was particularly pronounced among LGBTQ+ communities.
Popular destinations for relocation include Europe (33 per cent), Asia (30 per cent), North America (24 per cent) and the Middle East (22 per cent).
Word On The Curb’s research also highlights broader concerns within Black, Asian and minoritised communities.
While the economy and the cost-of-living crisis are seen as the most important issues for the government to address (45 per cent), healthcare (21 per cent) and housing (27 per cent) were also commonly highlighted.
Additionally, over a quarter (27 per cent) of respondents feel sceptical about the upcoming election.
