Britain's border problem: The British are leaving

They flock unstoppably through Britain's border crossings, thousands every week, posing a threat to social, demographic, and economic stability, according to some.

But this is not another verdict on the perils of immigration. This is about people moving in the opposite direction. Surprisingly, for a country obsessed about immigrants, Britons are emigrating in record numbers.

Official data show that more than 350,000 people leave the country every year, up almost 50 percent from 10 years ago. A recent BBC survey remarkably found that 13 percent of people said they were hoping to emigrate in the near future – double the figure from a similar survey conducted three years ago.

At least 4.5 million Britons – about 8 percent of the population – now live abroad, a far bigger diaspora in percentage terms than those of other rich countries like France, Germany, and the US. Those anxious about rising immigration numbers should take note: more Britons now live overseas than the number of foreign nationals resident in Britain.

"In Britain there is an emigration culture which doesn't exist in other continental European countries," notes Frank Laczko, head of research for the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration. That the British have a penchant for emigration is clear from the number of TV shows about buying property abroad, living overseas, and "a place in the sun," he says.

"If you look at France by comparison, people do not dream of living abroad," he adds. "There is not this discussion."

So who goes where and why? According to Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, an expert with the London-based Institute for Public Policy Research think tank, emigration has become far more democratic.

"It's not just about colonial officers looking for opportunities elsewhere," he says. These days, he says, it's just as likely to be a plumber taking his trade to Spain or Australia, a nurse who can make more money in the Gulf, a policeman attracted by the great outdoors of New Zealand, or middle-class retirees with a windfall from soaring property prices heading for rural France. "They aren't fleeing a sinking ship, but are going to seek out better opportunities and lifestyles," he says.

Richard Gregan, director of Overseas Emigration Visas, a company that helps some 2,000 Britons resettle overseas each year, says business is booming, with clients from a broad cross section. "We see everybody from the megawealthy to the small business owner, the tradesman and white- and blue-collar workers. The youngest are 25 and the age range goes right up to 55-year-olds."

Australia is the most popular destination, with 615,000 Britons. Despite stiff entry requirements for immigrant workers, the United States is second, with about 500,000 Britons. According to a recent survey by the ICM polling institute, the chief factors driving Britons overseas are better quality of life, high costs at home, job relocation, and yes, the weather.

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