Britons seek employment overseas

The number of Britons who chose to emigrate abroad between 1997 and 2006 has been described as "probably the greatest period of emigration we've ever seen".

Jill Rutter, senior migration office at the Institute for Public Policy Research, told the Telegraph that this is partly due to the relatively new trend of retirees emigrating to countries.

However, she said it is also due to the "more internationalised labour market and workforce", which has made it easier for people to work abroad for a period.

A NatWest report on expatriates showed that of the 200,000 who left the country in 2006, two-thirds went to live abroad with four in ten of those professionals or managers.

The Conservative Party has claimed that the statistics reflect how many Britons are becoming disgruntled with high taxes and crime rates to the extent that many are leaving their home country.

The Office for National Statistics will release figures showing that 1.97 million Britons left the country in this period, a number thought to be comparable only with the exodus between 1911-14.