Life in the UK: feedback from immigrants

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

For many people, the UK is associated with unchanging prosperity, security and tranquility. For most Russians, foggy Albion (as this country is sometimes called) is associated primarily with polite Englishmen dressed in black tuxedos and happily talking about the weather over a cup of tea. Of course, we understand that it is simply impossible to meet such a picture today. However, many people still like the way of life of the population of Great Britain. That is why England is one of the main countries chosen for immigration. What is life like in the UK, and is it worth it to move because of this country?

General information

Great Britain is a kingdom that unites four states at once. Many perceive it as a separate country, calling England. But in reality, England is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain along with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Foggy Albion is located near the northwestern coast of the European continent. The area of this kingdom is 244.8 thousand square kilometers. 53 million people live on its territory. The Queen's Birthday is a public holiday. It is celebrated on the second Saturday of June. The national currency is the pound sterling.

Great Britain controls 15 foreign territories, where approximately 190 thousand people live. Among them are Gibr altar, Bermuda, Anguilla, as well as a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central and South America, as well as Africa. The UK also has territories located in Antarctica.

The British monarch is the nominal head of the Commonwe alth, which includes most of the dominions and colonies of foggy Albion. These are 54 countries whose population reaches 1.7 billion people.

Economy

For many foreigners, the UK has been and remains a country of prosperity and prosperity. There is a similar attitude towards London. It is no coincidence that immigrants choose this city, which is considered the financial center of the world, to live in the UK.

The state is included in the list of the most economically developed countries on our planet. In this list, it ranks fifth, behind the United States and Japan, Germany and France. At the same time, the share of the UK in international trade is at the level of approximately 5%.

There is a huge amount of financial transactions in London. According to this indicator, the capital of Great Britainsecond only to New York. In addition, there is a fairly large stock exchange in the capital of England. In terms of the volume of its operations, it is second only to similar organizations in Tokyo and New York.

The largest share of insurance operations passes through this city. The main part of the international exchange market for oil, metals and other strategic goods is concentrated in London.

The services sector has a significant share in the structure of the Kingdom's economy (71%). The manufacturing sector accounts for just over 17% of GDP. In the extractive industry of the country, a large share belongs to the oil and gas industry. A slightly smaller volume of production is in the coal industry.

In the industrial sector of the country today, the role of the latest high-tech industries of the electronic and chemical, electrical and aerospace industries is significantly increasing.

British pharmaceuticals have rightly earned worldwide fame. The level of development of biotechnology in the UK is in second place after the US.

The country's agriculture is distinguished by high mechanization and efficiency. It provides 63% food for the population of foggy Albion.

The transport system in the UK is well developed. The territory of the country is covered by a dense network of railways and roads. There is also maritime transport in the country, which is served by numerous ports. Insignificant volumes of all transportation of goods and passengers fall on the share of river transport. But at the same time stormyaviation is developing rapidly. The country has 450 airports that accept passengers and a variety of cargo.

One of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy is communications. This contributes to the high computerization of business, education and people's daily lives.

The tourism industry is well developed in the UK. According to the level of development of this sector of the economy, the country is in 7th place in the world.

And now consider the pros and cons of life in the UK from the point of view of Russian emigrants.

Indigenous

According to the researchers, the character of the British left their mark on the tribes who tried to conquer the territory of foggy Albion in their time. Among them are Saxons and Jutes, Scandinavian Vikings and Normans, Celts, Romans and Angles. In connection with such a multifaceted intervention in the history and life of England, the population developed a certain special character. You can find Anglo-Saxon practicality, Celtic daydreaming, Norman discipline and Viking courage in it.

Inhabitants of Britain consider an important element in shaping the character of a growing person, the education of social responsibility in him. From a very young age, they teach their children not to lock themselves into the family atmosphere alone, which allows young English people to confidently and actively participate in public life. In the UK, this is facilitated by the education system adopted in the country, as well as the wide distribution of various types of voluntary work.

To date, life in the UK has been chosenfor themselves more than 300 thousand emigrants from Russia. Moreover, this figure can reach one million, if we include Belarusians and Ukrainians, Latvians and Latvians, as well as representatives of some other peoples living on the territory of the former USSR. However, despite such a significant figure, immigrants indicate that they cannot feel at home.

What do our compatriots say about life in the UK? Judging by their reviews, this country at first glance is quite friendly and welcoming. Even people who don't know each other smile on the streets. With any careless movement, “sorry” or “excuse me” will certainly follow. This allows you to create the impression that everyone treats you very good-naturedly.

However, the reviews of Russian emigrants say that this illusion disappears quite quickly. It becomes clear that the British apologize automatically, and their hospitality is nothing more than a polite mask that does not carry any emotional burden.

Our compatriots have the opinion that most of the natives of the UK do not treat foreigners very well. They sympathize with one, and express contempt or even disgust with others. In any case, they believe that the British nation is the best in the world.

Often, a Russian person becomes an object of irony among the natives of Great Britain. At the same time, a kind of English humor is expressed in rather unpleasant moments. For example, in a bank, our emigrant may be offered to cash his check in Russia, and the ownersapartments after an approved viewing are able to offer to rent a completely different housing.

However, you should not assume that any foreigner in the UK is an outcast, although he does not have to wait for a warm welcome. Judging by the feedback of our emigrants, only the person himself is able to form a positive and kind attitude towards himself. But it won't work right away. Everything will come with time. At the same time, for active inclusion in the social life of the UK, first of all, good knowledge of English will be needed. And only after the ability to speak and understand your interlocutor will be brought to perfection, you can expect a respectful attitude towards yourself.

By the way, some emigrants believe that the British are sympathetic to the Russians. This is due to the non-aggressiveness of our person, his diligence, law-abidingness, the ability to understand and accept the way of life in the UK, as well as quickly integrate into a new society for himself.

Salaries

The cloudless and prosperous life of people in the UK seems only at first glance. In order to understand this, it is not enough to go to this country on a tourist visa. It is necessary to look at this life from the inside.

Of course, people in the countries of foggy Albion, as well as in other states, are born and attend kindergartens, study at schools and higher educational institutions, get married and have children, get a job and travel. Differences can only be revealed when considering the standard of living in the UK. And it directly depends on the material remuneration of a person for work.

It is worth noting that wages in England have their own characteristics. Its size depends entirely on the region of residence. So, in London, the amounts paid by employers are the highest. But at the same time, the prices for what a person needs for life are quite high here. On the periphery, cash payments to employees are less. But the prices here are much lower. If we consider the percentage of wages and the cost of living, then in the capital and in remote regions it will be the same.

The minimum in this country for one hour of work you can get 6, 19 pounds. This amount does not include taxes. Thus, for the month, net income will be 884 pounds. Judging by the experience of Russian emigrants, for that kind of money you can rent a small room on the outskirts, eat potatoes and bread, and still keep yourself for small expenses.

Taxes

Deductions to the treasury from earnings in the UK are directly dependent on the amount received. The higher it is, the higher the percentage will be. For example, annual income from 20 to 38 thousand pounds is taxed at a rate of 20%. If the same amount reaches 38-70 thousand pounds, then the state will need to pay 35% of it. With a further increase in income, the tax will reach 42% and even 50% (with annual earnings of more than 300 thousand).

Salaries of representatives of various professions

The highest in the UK are the incomes of financial workers, lawyers and doctors, as well as owners of private businesses in various fields. Their salaries range from 50up to 100 thousand pounds during the year. Large amounts are received by those people who are in leadership positions, as well as business partners. The salary of teachers is 30-50 thousand pounds. It is very difficult to talk about some kind of average income. The fact is that in the UK it depends on the gender of the employee, the industry in which he works, length of service and city. According to statistics, the average monthly salary in England in 2017 was 2,310 pounds, which corresponds to 2,630 euros.

Costs

If we consider the level of income of the middle class, then in the UK the annual salary of representatives of these social strata will be approximately 30 thousand pounds. If taxes are deducted from this amount, then in a month such a person will receive 2,000 pounds “clean” in his hands. Considering that England is the most expensive country in Europe, this is not so much at all.

You will need to pay 600-900 pounds to rent a house or apartment. The exact amount will depend on the location of the property. In central London, the cost of housing is higher, and in the provinces - lower. To this must be added utilities. In the summer they will be 130 pounds. During the winter months, housing will cost more due to heating. You will also need to pay property tax. It will amount to 100 pounds per month.

The expenditure part of income must also include the need to pay for transport. This amount can be in the range of 50-200 pounds. For example, a travel card that will pay for travel only in the central areas of the capital of England will cost 100 pounds. A large amount will have to be paid in connection with the paidarrival of cars in the center of London, the high cost of parking and a single fare in public transport.

In terms of food, the average cost of food will be 200-400 pounds. It is recommended to take into account many other costs. Among them are car and medical insurance, as well as deductions for communications and cable television. To pay for each of these items from the salary will need to lay out approximately 45 pounds. In the end, there will be nothing left. Judging by the feedback from our emigrants, saving for the future in Britain simply does not work.

Property

Buying your own apartment or house in England is hard enough. That is why the life of young people in the UK together with their parents is not uncommon. Indeed, in order to purchase not the best apartment in London, you will have to pay more than half a million pounds.

Difficult youth and rent their own homes. This will require at least the average salary in the country, but young professionals have a small income. And this applies even to doctors, accountants or teachers.

He althcare

In the UK, medicine is both paid and free. Based on the income level of most English people, they naturally use the second option. Public medicine at the expense of taxpayers provides almost the entire range of services.

When referring to doctors, the British pay only for medicines purchased according to a written prescription. The services of a dentist and an ophthalmologist are also subject to payment. But also inIn the latter case, there are benefits for citizens under 16 and over 60, pregnant women, students, people with certain types of chronic diseases and low-income segments of the population. For them, an appointment with an ophthalmologist and dentist will also be free.

As for the quality of medical services, then, judging by the reviews of Russian emigrants, it will depend on the area in which the clinic is located, as well as on the professionalism of the doctor. Sometimes it happens that in some remote British village, medical care will be an order of magnitude faster and better than in a clinic located in the center of London. The explanation here is quite simple. The more populated the area, the greater the flow of patients to one doctor, the less time the specialist has to properly approach the patient and discuss the problem with him.

Retirement age

How long people live depends not least on their home country. Thus, the average life expectancy in the UK exceeds the same indicator in Russia by 20 years. And this is directly related to its higher level. In addition, the wonderful ecology of this country has a direct impact on life expectancy in the UK. After all, the air here is clean, and people can drink water straight from the tap.

Life expectancy in the UK, as well as in highly developed countries such as Japan and Canada, is just over 80 years.

Arts & Culture

In the country where Shakespeare himself worked, it is impossible to showindifference to the theatre. It is this temple of art that today is one of the important parts of the cultural life of Great Britain. In each of the cities of the country, even in the smallest, there are theaters that offer the audience performances for every taste.

Numerous museums and exhibitions speak of the rich spiritual life in Great Britain. There are quite a lot of creative people in the country who organize fashion shows, demonstrate the art of graffiti, and are also fond of music and cinema. Every resident of Britain finds something to his liking. In addition, Russian emigrants note that this country is characterized by freedom of expression. No one will cast sidelong glances at young people wearing bright clothes and a mohawk on their heads. Here it is considered "the original representation of the world."