Researchers seek respondents to determine why some British citizens are returning to the UK

Tuesday 15th November 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: Press Release

Researchers from the University of Valencian and University of Birmingham are seeking British people who have returned to the UK from Spain, or are planning to do so, to take part in a survey in attempt to try and identify the main reasons why people are doing so as well as possible gaps in Spanish and British policies which prompt such return movements.

Jordi Giner-Monfort, senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Valencia, and Kelly Rider, reader in Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, had previously questions British people about their life in Spain and the likelihood that they would return to the UK for whatever reason.

More than 800 people responded to the survey in 2020, a quarter of which were living in the province of Alicante at the time, and the researchers found that 86% of them had no plans to return permanently to the UK, even if they suffered from deteriorating health and a reduced income. More than half claimed that they would never return whilst others said that they would only go back if it was “absolutely necessary”.

Now the researchers are turning their attention to those who have already returned to the UK or are planning to do so in the near future. The survey asks questions about the respondents time in Spain, the decision to return to the UK, the steps made to make the move, and the reasons and difficulties that they had to become a British citizen of full rights once again.

The survey can be completed online (see the link below) and will take about ten minutes to complete. Alternatively, interested parties who qualify can also take part in an interview, either online or in person at a place of their choosing which will last about 30 minutes; those interested in doing so should send an email to jordi.giner@uv.es.

All the information collected will be treated confidentially, analysed anonymously
and the respondents name will not appear on any publications.