Who blames Brexit for their decision to leave the UK? The departure of skilled Germans from Britain after the referendum

Brexit created uncertainty for migrants living in the UK and a potential reason to leave the country. Some of the consequences of the Brexit referendum, such as the loss of skilled workers, may have been unintended. This article investigates the relevance of Brexit for German migrants who decided to return to Germany from the UK in the two years following the 2016 referendum. Our analysis relies on a register-based probability sample of German migrants. We find that more than half of German migrants from the UK assert that their decision to return was strongly affected by Brexit. Furthermore, Brexit as a motive for returning positively correlates to dissatisfaction with the political situation, the lack of social security, and dissatisfaction with life in the country as other reasons for their return. Our results indicate that skills and the Brexit return motive are positively related. Whereas attachment to the UK does not affect whether German migrants blame Brexit for their return, those with better English skills and longer durations of stay are more likely to mention Brexit as a return motive.