The UK has not closed its doors to Turkish immigrants; the doors are wide open!

Lately, whoever I talk to asks, "How can I find a way to move abroad?" 

Students, business people, doctors, nurses, engineers… 

They want to continue their careers abroad, they want to make their investments abroad…

So much so that this is the biggest dream for people of every age group!

A survey conducted by the Metropoll Research company revealed some very interesting data. 

According to the results of the study conducted in October of this year, 58.4 percent of young people said they wanted to live abroad. 

33.7 percent of citizens between the ages of 35-54 also stated that they wanted to live abroad. 

The most striking result is the rate for citizens aged 55 and over: 22.2 percent.

In short, the number of people who desire to go abroad is quite high in every age group. 

Now you might say, "Let them go if they want!" but unfortunately, it is not that simple. Because the immigration policies of developed countries have changed. Now, the doors are completely open only to those who can provide brain drain and investment. 

Countries that used to accept immigrants to fill labor shortages now only grant visas to qualified individuals. 

The news we constantly see in the Turkish press, such as 'Germany has eased visa requirements' or 'Canada is looking for immigrants,' does not really reflect the truth. 

THE MOST POPULAR CITY IS LONDON

According to the results of another study, London, the capital of the UK, emerged as the city where Turks most want to live. Remitly, a financial services provider for immigrants, announced that they reached this conclusion based on Google data. 

So, how realistic is the London dream?

The British government, which has been criticized for its immigration policy, announced that it would put forward a new plan to prevent unskilled immigration. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made this promise in front of cameras to win the hearts of his conservative voters.

Is it really difficult to come to the UK?

The UK's departure from the European Union with Brexit led to the shelving of the visa type known in the public eye as the Ankara Agreement. Since this visa type, known as the easiest visa to settle in the UK, was no longer available as of January 31, 2020, it seemed as if the island's doors were closed to Turks.  

I asked Melis Yıldız, an Immigration Law Attorney and Visa Consultant in the UK, how open the UK's doors are to Turks?

I received a surprising answer: "The UK's doors are not closed to Turks; on the contrary, they are wide open!"

When we summarize the information she provided, two important points emerge.

The British government has never closed its doors to real investors who will not have integration problems, can speak the language, and will pay taxes. 

For example, the innovator founder visa, which came into effect at the beginning of this year, is an interesting type of visa that invites investors to the UK. The most important criterion for this visa type, which is translated into Turkish as 'yenilikçi kurucu vizesi', is that you have a business idea. 

The British government previously required a 50 thousand pound investment for the same visa type. Now, this requirement has been removed. 

Moreover, you have your business idea approved by independent organizations.

So, a government that does not want immigrants is making visa requirements easier instead of harder!

This contradiction is confusing, isn't it?

Melis Yıldız says, "This is not a contradiction. The dismissed Home Secretary Suella Braverman may have been sacrificed, but she was actually defending the British government's real immigration policy. The former minister was saying that they do not want immigrants who 'do not integrate, do not contribute to the economy, and live closed off in their own neighborhoods without learning English.' The opposite is already unthinkable. When you look at it, both Braverman and Prime Minister Sunak are immigrants themselves."

Although it is not true for the whole of the UK, people from every nation live in the capital, London. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the British are in the minority. Some sectors have become the monopoly of immigrants of certain nationalities. The restaurant sector is under the monopoly of Turks, the public sector is dominated by Indian and Pakistani immigrants, and construction work is dominated by Eastern Europeans…

According to Melis Yıldız, the UK has eased the requirements for this visa type to attract real investors. The business plan has such details that it is not an easy visa type for those who want to sneak into the UK by saying 'I will do business.' But on the contrary, it is an invitation to all business people who have an innovative and sustainable idea that will truly invest and contribute to the UK economy… 

The British government is even generous enough to grant permanent residency within three years to those who can meet these visa requirements…

The real issue, of course, is not who wants to go to which country or how they can go. The real issue is being able to keep the youth, who are the guarantee of the future, business people who will invest, and trained doctors and engineers in the country. 

It is easy to give up, but hard to cultivate. Young people know very well that in a strategy game, no matter how many infantry units you have, if you do not have characters that provide logistical support, can command, and have special abilities, you do not have a chance even in an online game. How could it be any different in real life?