It’s often said there’s no place like home and no matter how settled they might feel in another country, it’s not unusual for emigrants to feel the pull to return home some day. Well the good news for Irish expatriates considering coming back is that the economy is the strongest it has been in many a year. Thousands of new jobs are being created each month and seasonally adjusted unemployment rates fell to 7.3 per cent in November, their lowest since before the 2008 economic crash.
That crisis and the subsequent lack of opportunities sent waves of young professionals and graduates away from Ireland, but the current recovery and renewed sense of optimism has started to slowly lure them back to the homeland. According to the Central Statistics Office, more than 20,000 Irish nationals returned in 2016 to Ireland, a number which was up nearly 75 per cent on the previous year.
Despite these encouraging figures there are still barriers in the way of those considering a return, from the logistics of the move to the psychological factors involved in returning to a country that has changed while they were gone.
According to Michelle Murphy from Collins McNicholas Recruitment, for many, a successful return comes down to timing.
“It’s about the right role for them together with sourcing the right accommodation be it buying or renting,” says Murphy. “Some of them will be moving home with a partner or family with them so there are a number of other factors they have to consider – quality of life, work-life balance , traffic, infrastructure, childcare facilities and general amenities.”
Mental fortitude
There are many pros and cons to consider before making the leap, but with a little preparation and a lot of mental fortitude, much of the pain can be removed. According to psychologist Terri Morrissey not everyone experiences the same feelings when it comes to returning home, it depends on their expectations and reason for returning
“Some come back to take up a career opportunity, others for family reasons such as elderly parents or education for children,” she says. “Generally, they find things are not the same as they left them. People have changed or moved on.”
She says it could be that the environment has changed and it may be hard to readjust or fit back in. “In some cases people can feel left out as they are neither one thing or another,” she adds. People’s memories can suffer from the “halo effect” – in their minds the sun always shone, for example, but they find that that wasn’t the case after they return. On the other hand, some feel that they have made the right decision and that the changes they see are for the better.
How easy it is to make the transition may depend on where you have been as well as your family situation. “It may be easier to get a place to live or to get schooling if you have children,” she says. “I think it also depends on where you have come from, be it UK or some other European country. The standards of living can be about the same although Ireland is still not as cosmopolitan outside of Dublin, although that too is changing. Ireland still has some social attitudes that returners find difficult, although it has improved over the recent years.”
Getting started
Making the decision to come back is probably the hardest part in itself. For those who have spent years in another country, having made new friends and work connections, it can be hard to sever those ties and start again.
Once the decision is made, however, the important part is to stick with it. Just think back to when you left Ireland. Remember the hassle involved with organising somewhere to stay, job hunting, opening a bank account, getting a driver’s licence? Or the dozens of other unexpected things that came up? Expect to experience many of those headaches again.
One of the misconceptions expatriates can make is thinking they will be able to slip back into the life they left behind, as if it were an old pair of shoes, which won’t be the case. Close friends and family have moved on in the intervening years and the country isn’t going to be how they remember it either. It’s important to prepare mentally for this, since some returnees can experience feelings of isolation or regret once they realise this.
They may even be tempted to leave again, but it’s important to hold firm during these early months. Being honest about those feelings and discussing them with a partner or close friend can do wonders.
Solid plan
Trying to move back without a solid plan is going to make things much harder than they need to be, and the more preparation you do, the smoother the transition will be. Work and accommodation should be the top priorities. The Government is being proactive here, and is trying to entice the Irish diaspora to return. A good baby step is to use jobseeker reliables: reconnect with old colleagues in Ireland before the move, and if you are on Linkedin try putting out feelers to your connections.
Jobs Ireland, #allaboutjobs, Grad Ireland and IT’s Happening Here – a website from Enterprise Ireland for jobs in technology – are excellent resources to find opportunities. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a section on its site called Coming Home, which is a treasure trove of information on useful schemes and helpful homecoming advice. Its #hometowork campaign has been increasingly active in reaching out to Irish workers overseas, particularly those who left after 2008, and encouraging them to research the opportunities now available.
Potential employers are particularly welcoming to people with skills in key sectors like IT, healthcare and finance. In fact those with overseas experience are often more attractive than those who stayed.
Another good tip is to look into Irish recruitment firms, who are increasingly targeting those overseas, holding seminars and offering services that will help those seeking to return. Collins McNicholas, for example, will be holding seminars in Galway, Cork, Sligo and Athlone on December 29th, aimed at people visiting family over the Christmas period.
Affordable accommodation
One of the major concerns holding people back from returning is that they will not find affordable accommodation, and rightfully so. Dublin is a hub of activity when it comes to jobs, but rising rents and the cost of living hardly make it a fun place for flat-hunting. There is a housing crisis in the country, which affects both renters and those looking to buy.
Expats will find getting a mortgage next to impossible without hefty savings, and going to viewings, especially in Dublin, can be truly maddening. Renting is no simpler. Typically monthly rent is more than €1,200, bills not included. The State is working on ways to ease this issue, but their efforts have yet to bear much fruit and it will likely take years before things improve.
Planning for this is the key to a happier life, so if the housing issue hasn’t deterred you, the first step should be to secure somewhere to stay while hunting for a new place.
Research the prices in the area you are looking to settle and decide what you can afford before spending a cent. (Just Landed is a very good place to start. Or try Daft.ie or myhome.ie.) A reference from a previous landlord is essential. If you have experienced the joy of home-hunting before, apply those lessons and over-prepare. There’s a lot of competition out there, so give yourself every advantage possible.
Murphy says the Collins McNicholas recruitment fair will give advice on finding accommodation and banking as well as CVs and interview techniques.
Do the homework
Once these essentials are in place, be sure to have a plan for the rest of the necessities. Refresh yourself on fun subjects such as tax, healthcare, applying for a driving licence and car insurance. On that front, Citizens Information has the answer to just about any question you could ask. If you are coming back with a partner or children, don’t even think of booking flights or setting dates before looking into local schools.
Try to travel light too. It might bring any living room to life, but do you really need to ship that sofa back with you?
Moving back won’t be easy, and more can and should be done to help ease the concerns of returnees. However, for those feeling the urge to return, be it for work or family, the conditions have rarely been better, and despite the uphill struggle ahead the pain will almost certainly be worth it.
After all, where else in the world can you watch Fair City in a pub?
EMIGRANTS’ TOP CONCERNS
Earlier this year members of more than 80 GAA clubs worldwide were asked to detail their fears and concerns about returning home as part of a project carried out by Irish-based charity Crosscare.
Employment was the most important concern for 66 per cent of respondents in deciding whether to move back home.
The following were perceived barriers to returning:
- Finding suitable and career-related work
- General availability of work
- The prospect of lower wages and high tax rates
- A lack of secure, full-time and permanent roles