Between expectations of frictionless mobility and complex realities. Decisions and experiences of German professionals living and working in Britain.

The aim of the DPhil thesis is to explore the particular case of the migration decision-making and experiences of German professionals in Britain. Not only is the mobility of professionals an integral factor for the economies, but it is also promoted and facilitated on the national and EU levels. Mobile professionals may be regarded as the ideal type of mover: invisible, young, highly-talented, competent in the local language, well-integrated. Indeed, due to these characteristics, they are assumed to integrate easily and enjoy the mobile lifestyle. However, some empirical studies highlight the complexities of this mobility suggesting that even those highly-desired mobile professionals are not immune to challenges, which may lead to instability, insecurity, and stress, suggesting that such migration is not as frictionless and easy as may be suggested. In this thesis, I aim to address these aspects. Based on the qualitative analysis of 64 interviews with professionals and some of their partners, I draw our attention to the complexities in the lives of these privileged mobile professionals. On the one hand, German professionals moving to Britain may exemplify the notion of frictionless mobility, as they enjoy the right to move freely, they are educated, young, competent in the English language, employed according to their qualifications, and well-integrated. On the other hand, their mobility is more constrained than it first appears and their migratory experiences are not immune to challenges or unanticipated obstacles, such as Brexit. Furthermore, having partners or children may present additional challenges for the households, and not only impact the relocation strategies of the household but also impact the migratory experience of each partner. Discussing these aspects contributes to our understating of the particularities of the experiences of mobile professionals relocating between affluent countries, as well as highlights the realities and complexities of mobility and the lives of these highly-desired professionals.