The decision has been made almost two months ago, and it is only now that I can get myself to put it down on ‘paper’: we are not moving back to London. 

Nothing is certain in life, and the only constant is change, I get that much. But Brexit has so far only added to the certain uncertainty, and I have been watching with horror and great sadness from the sidelines to what’s happening to my beloved Britain, the place that still feels like home to me and my family.

During my 10 year stay, I never bothered with UK citizenship for me or my children, who were both born in London. Being an EU national provided me with enough opportunities and rights while maintaining my family’s mixed national inheritance. If we were to move now, there’d be no guarantee for us to stay in the long-term, especially not with the Home Office’s hostile environment policy.

Instead of sorting the real issues of an ever increasing housing crisis, too little money for schools and other education, and way too little money for police to get control over growing crime, politicians have been using Brexit to further their careers and political ideologies. With very little thought for the people they are meant to care for, they have created a hostile environment that doesn’t stop at the Home Office.

I am not writing off England entirely. I know that one day I am going to return to the place I still like to call home, to friendly people, diversity, compassion and opportunities. But right now, we are working on a plan B. I know I don’t want to stay in Sweden (that’s a whole different post entirely), and the option we are now looking at requires a lot of careful planning.

I’ll keep you posted 🙂