'Brexit fears' have restricted the flow of Portuguese workers moving to the UK with 26% fewer opting for grey northern climes last year, compared to 2016.Emigration from Portugal to the UK has dropped sharply since June 2016 when UK voters triggered the country’s exit from the European Union.
According to official data from the UK Department of Labour and Pensions, after a decline in 2016 (down 5.4% on 2015), last year there were 22,622 Portuguese entering the UK, representing 3.3% of the 683,000 foreigners legally entering the country during 2017.
For the Portuguese, this is the second consecutive annual decline in the number of new emigrants to the UK, pushing the figure to the lowest level since 2013.
For the Portuguese, this is the second consecutive annual decline in the number of new emigrants to the UK, pushing the figure to the lowest level since 2013.
The maximum number, as stated by the Emigration Observatory, was in 2015 when 32,301 Portuguese arrived in the UK, fleeing deep recession in Portugal.
The government estimates that more than 400,000 Portuguese nationals now live in the United Kingdom, 38% of whom have been educated in Portugal to degree level, representing a huge loss of brainpower as, traditionally, a low percentage say they intend to return during their working lives.
The government estimates that more than 400,000 Portuguese nationals now live in the United Kingdom, 38% of whom have been educated in Portugal to degree level, representing a huge loss of brainpower as, traditionally, a low percentage say they intend to return during their working lives.
As for an actual Brexit date, the latest signs coming from the complex talks indicate that a Brexit agreement could be delayed until the beginning of 2019, leaving just two months before the date set for the UK to quit the EU.
