lostinspain

I was just reading the posts here and I wondered how come there is no help in the UK for people coming back home. I have been here in Spain since Last yr June, and it was not easy settling in, but settled now somewhat. Still, there are days when I question myself if this is really the place I want to spend the rest of my days. And I wondered, where would I start if I a to get back.

In the UK all the immigrants have an easy time, jut go to a place (even at the airport) and someone is there to tell them what benefits to claim, where to look for the job etc etc. But some British people here would have even harder job as there is a maze of hurdles, complicated las and nowhere to turn.

I met a lady here who left UK with her children to try and live cheaper in Europe due to a divorce and not having much money, now she finds it impossible to work and look after her kids and wants to go back. But the obstacles are terrible. Most people are returning back with some money, from sale of the property or savings here, but there are some who have absolutelly nothing through either personal circumstances or being cheated. And believe me, in Spain, it is easy to be cheated as most utilities and tel are taken directly from the account. I already had a double on my line who left Spain and left me to contest the bill.

I just wondered, perhaps some of the good people who returned to the UK can set something up, or post something to help others.

Who knows, I may need help one day. .

CBANDY

I too would be interested in an opinion on this subject. We have finally come to the decision ( only in the last few days) to try and sell our house and move back to the uk after 10 years in Spain.

lostinspain

Oh CBANDY, what a nice picture.
Yes, you see there are lot of links etc but really helpful thing would be for "one stop shop" for expats. Perhaps someone who was expat themselves and had to go through thick and thin and is "creative" in ways to settle people again. If one has a lot of money bringing from abroad this is a different story, but what about people who don't and perhaps, even worst, have lost everything, aged a bit and simply don't know what to do.

But I wish you all the best. Where are you in Spain? Why are you thinking of going back?

G586

Well, the one thing the UK isn't short of is advice....

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/

and there are obviously a lot of others, perhaps, it is a case of researching, as you would before emmigrating, rather than assuming you know how things work just due to being native. Things change.....

CBANDY

South costa blanca. Main reasons for going back, Rising prices but no wage rise in FIVE years, Feeling more like an ousider even though i have fluent spanish and i think we really need a change. I think there is more stability for my daughter as well. Where we live there are hardly any kids.

lostinspain

I am on Valencian coast and we have "too many kids" here who seem to be bored all day long ad just running aimlessly around while parents go about their business.

I still feel on holiday, so to speak, and really not sure if this is the place to stay for longer periods. So reading this forum with interest every week.

I found, from English people here, that there are two groups it seems: those who opened a business,integrated and doing ok, and those who are substituting their professional life in the UK with doing casual jobs or teaching English for very poor wages. Of course there are those who are married to Spanish, but this is a seperate group.

It all depends of the reasons people come here, but not sure yet what to think.

CBANDY

Of course we were here before the euro when things were MUCH easier.

Lionda

What a good idea, there must be a lot of people wondering about returning but not sure how to go about it. We are returning to my home town in the north of England, after a very long time away living in the south of England. I still have family there and also houses are cheaper than in the south so more of a possibility to get back on the housing ladder.

One of the things I am doing is checking the Rightmove site and 'saving' properties so I can keep an eye on them to see how long they are on the market. That way I can look at the properties when we return and make an offer. You can look for properties for sale and also properties to rent.

lostinspain

Yes I looked at that site, it is really helpful.
I was more thinking of people who have nothing, abroad business didn't work out, they can't buy a home, have kids, can't claim benefits etc etc.

Like this lady here, she has two small kids, divorced, trying to get better life in Spain, left her job due to bad divorce and urgency, didn't work out as has nobody to look after kids whle she works, left UK fast without thinking, lost benefits in the UK etc etc...Many people did that, just came to Spain after looking at the TV reports and reading nice posts. Of course, why would one read bad ones. We all hope (like myself) that we will be happy here. But life doesn't always work like that.

In addition to the sense of failure, you have no starting point anywhere and just so much paperwork.

Thats why I though one stop shop would be great. I know that people from Eastern Europe (and refugees) for eg. can just go to one place in the UK, in any larger town and they get help with the language, benefits, colleges etc etc. Why not help our own people who are trying to return as in many ways they are in a worst situation.

But maybe there is such a place and someone else may find it and post here.

chicagojlo

All immigrants to the UK?
You are talking about asylum seekers. Immigrants is a term that covers all kinds of people, and believe me they don't all get free houses and food and benefits. Far from it.

Have you tried going to the Citizens Advice Bureau? I seem to remember they were the place to go when you needed help getting benefits etc. And believe me the majority of people returning to the UK are not coming from anything like the same situation as most refugees are.

CBANDY

But there are some who return with next to nothing and need help.

chicagojlo

I don't want to start a fight believe me. But the idea that people just go to the UK with nothing and get given a bunch of stuff just because they are foreign is very wrong. The people who get given stuff had to leave what they worked their whole lives for in order to stay alive. Of course there are those who lie about it, but there are as many Brits doing that to get benefits if not more.
I feel bad for those Brits who have been scammed overseas and who have lost everything. But the country they are in has the responsibility of setting them right.

lostinspain

I disagree with the poster about asylum seekers needing more help as I have worked at the University for many years and can tell you that many people from new eu countries and asylum seekers get money from their birth countries and only a handful is truly in trouble. While British students work nights and have to come to a class in the morning since they are not classified as priority irrespective if they are poor and living on the streets (and some do).

In any case, why should someone from outside UK be in more need than a British citizen who is returning from abroad with nothing, with kids and simply one suitcase, without friends and a husband who will maybe give her trouble like the lady hire for eg.

But this is another topic.

As to citizen's advice it is useless as they take time, many visits and simply do not give straight forward advice.

Many people who are returning home from a long life outside are coming back with nothing and much older than they left and without any support system whatsoever. They need one stop shop before they get back.

suras

What a great idea
I know there are web sites with info but never complete. You seem to spend hours on the web searching for answers but theres always something missing

Fleaflyfloflum

I have thought about this so many times over the last year or so.

I would love to get involved in setting something up like this. The main problem being i am not back in UK myself yet!!

It would also need a pool of people skilled in many different aspects of problems faced by returnees.

I would lean more towards the emotional/ social support side of things, but such issues as housing, finances, children, schooling and a multitude of other stuff would need addressing.I think that is what makes it a very difficult task.

Hmmmm. Food for thought!