Due to Ireland’s economy going into the crapper – there are various news reports about that the world should prepare for a new Irish Expat exodus as young people abandon Ireland for better economic opportunities.
From The Guardian:
Ben Fraser’s first vote in an Irish general election may also be his last for a long while. Like many of his contemporaries, the 18-year-old student is seriously considering joining an exodus that is gathering pace as the recession deepens.
Up to 50,000 Irish citizens could leave the country this year, which would be the biggest wave of emigration since the last great exodus in the unemployment-blighted 1980s.
But while that mass desertion involved labourers and construction workers, this time it is professionals and graduates who are leaving.
“Anyone you meet who has been considering doing a college course knows there is a mood around, a real feeling that our best, our only option is to go away,” said Fraser, who is studying business and economics at Trinity College, Dublin.
Where is this highly educated class of unemployed people heading? Most are heading for the UK, where the economy is stronger and there are no immigration restrictions on Irish people. Many others are heading to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA – all countries that are a little harder to get into and generally require special skills for a visa.