We live in a world where anyone can physically travel around and go to any country - of course finances & luck & education play a big role. I consider myself lucky enough to have moved to London. To me, London is one of the most diverse places to live, and I love it!

In 2023 - 1.2 Million people have moved into the UK and & 532 thousand has moved out. Net migration is calculated as: people coming in - people leaving which makes 685 thousand for 2023. Net migration was even higher with 764 thousand people in 2022. Overall according to a study in 2021, 14% of the total population was born outside of the UK.

People come here for many reasons: family, work, money, political stability, women rights, safety, LGBTQ+ rights and so on. For my reason, it was initially work then it moved to women rights, LGBTQ+ rights & safety as a bisexual woman.

Immigrants surely benefit from moving to the UK, however it is a two-way street. It is very crucial for the UK to have immigrants as well.

Economic growth: Immigrants mostly come here to work & bring in different professional perspectives. In addition, the UK faces labour shortages in some specific areas, such as healthcare, agriculture, manual labour. Significant portion of the NHS is foreign-born staff. Even from personal experience; after Brexit, it was very hard to find a truck driver for logistics, since most of the European workforce has moved back to Europe. Foreign-born workers are up to 21% of the employed population, which was only 9% in 2004.

Cultural enrichment: Diversity brings new perspectives, better understanding of people in general and cultivates respect to one another. I believe diversity plays a huge role in why people here are really kind and supportive.

Cuisine! (this is definitely a personal opinion) Since the cuisine here is not known to be the best in the world, I believe immigrants are bringing all the flavours!

It is a journey being an immigrant, there is a lot of exploration and learning.I am still adjusting to it all. At first, it feels like I am a tourist in some rom-com series. Especially if that person is moving to London in Spring! This place is magical with a little bit of sun & outdoor activities; I remember I’d find myself cycling for hours and just staring at people and buildings. Surely early times were when I was the most excited to try and understand the culture here - and some of the things really surprised me in the best way possible.

* Climate: I am aware everyone already talks about the weather in the UK daily. Some people even warned me before moving here that it is very gloomy and sometimes it gets really challenging with seasonal depressions here. I don't think i have comprehended how challenging it was until I moved here, especially after being so used to the sun in Turkiye.

* Queueing: I am loving the queueing culture here, it feels super respectful and civilised! I used to think there was free stuff being given away whenever I see people lining up in the street. Afterwards I have found out everyone seems love queueing here. Please let me know if you know why :)

* Tax: Tax is definitely crucial to the public service - my shock here was that there are too different tax types here. It takes a while to adjust all the admin and understand where to apply for which one. There is council tax, TV licence, parking permit fee even to park in front of your house.

* Less communal than what I am used to - people feel a bit distant, which is very expected in a huge metropolitan city like London. It feels lonely at times but it comes with good boundaries & a lot of respect!

I really enjoy learning more about this country, and any country to be frank. I believe it brings great perspectives in my personal life. I feel like I unlocked a new level in my brain when speaking multiple languages at the same time. It still feels fascinating to dream in a different language than what I was born to. However, it goes without saying, nothing is easy - especially being an immigrant is very challenging. 2 major things for me that I had to work on:

  • Feeling like an outsider, even though the UK is very diverse. It takes a while to feel like I am part of a community, especially when I am new to pop culture and all these references. It doesn't even matter when I speak the language, I can understand every single word in a sentence but when they get together it does not resonate the feeling as it does to the local community. One of the hardest parts is to miss speaking to my mother language especially when I am in distress.
  • Missing family and friends, missing the significant events like weddings, funerals, celebrations. Feeling like I have abandoned them is another heavy one that has been taking time to process.

With all the good and bad, this place has given me a home, a beautiful partner, work opportunities, freedom and safety in which I’ll eternally be grateful. As a result, I have changed like most of my immigrant friends that I talk to. I feel like I adopted a very different perspective, currently trying to create a “Turk-lish” culture with my British partner. I have gotten stronger but actually more vulnerable at the same time without the peer pressure. I think coming somewhere where no one knew who I was, helped me find who I really am.

Eventually, realising the definition of home - that it is not a country or a place. It is a feeling within myself with the loved ones. It could take some time to feel like it but essentially anywhere can be a home if your heart is in it. For now, the UK seems to be mine with my chosen family here! I will try to cherish my time here with my best abilities till my next adventure!