European Union home-movers snub the UK post-referendum

The UK has fallen sharply out of favour with home-movers from the European Union post-referendum to leave the EU, receiving just 22% of all home movers leaving the EU in March 2019 compared to two thirds (66%) in June 2016, according to new research by reallymoving.

Clear drop in intent to move to UK from EU since June 2016 referendum
EU movers accounted for 23% of all moves to UK in March 2019, down from 42% in June 2016
EU movers are increasingly seeking moves within to other EU countries or to the rest of the world
The UK now receives just 22% of EU home movers, a third of share received in June 2016 (66%)

Analysis of over 100,000 international removals quotes by reallymoving demonstrates a clear drop in intent to move to the UK from the EU since June 2016 and notable increases in moves within the EU (excluding the UK) and from the EU to the rest of the world.

While the proportion of all inward moves to the UK which are coming from the EU has fallen significantly, from 42% in June 2016 to 23% in March 2019, moves within the EU have increased from 18% to 28% and moves from the EU to the rest of the world have increased from 16% to 49% over the same period (see Graph 1).

There has also been a decline in the share of moves to the UK from other European countries outside of the EU, from 9% in June 2016 to 2% in March 2019 (see Graph 2).

Immediately following the referendum there was a brief spike in interest in moving from the EU to the UK, which could be attributed to ex-pat retirees considering returning home amid uncertainty over their rights, pensions and healthcare, as well as UK nationals living and working in the EU anticipating an end to the free movement of people.

However, this spike was short lived and interest in moving to the UK plummeted after September 2016 and has since continued a steady downward trend.

Rob Houghton, CEO of reallymoving, says:

“The Withdrawal Agreement, as it stands, would bring the free movement of people to an end, making it more difficult and expensive for EU workers to come to the UK. This has clearly had a significant impact on the decisions people have made about where to settle over the last almost three years, dramatically reducing the flow of people from the continent into the UK.

“Uncertainty over our jobs market and the rights of EU workers in the UK, as well as British citizens in Europe, is encouraging EU residents to look for opportunities elsewhere, in countries where they can settle without the risk of upheaval in the near future.

“Meanwhile, movers from the rest of the world now account for three quarters of all moves to the UK.”