Migrants Hate Living In London, But Love The Job Opportunities

London’s foreign population think the capital is one of the worst cities in the world to live in, but say it is a good place to find work.

In the InterNations Expat Insider 2016 survey of 14,000 immigrants, London ranked poorly for quality of life, leisure options, safety, and happiness – ranking it 17th ovrall out of 35 global cities.

However, London’s highest rank was in the work category, coming in at 16th place. Career prospects were well regarded by 76 per cent of respondents, eclipsing the worldwide average of 55 per cent.

Yet the city ranked 24th for quality of life, 26th for leisure options, 33rd for personal happiness, 18th for transport, and 24th for both health and safety.

The survey describes itself as “one of the most extensive studies ever conducted to explore the general living situation of expatriates,” the Evening Standard reports.

An InterNations spokesman said: “Even in pre-Brexit UK, expats in London rated the safety at a relatively low 24th position out of 35 cities.

“At 65 per cent peacefulness, on the other hand, is well below the global average of 75 per cent. As the data was collected before the referendum in June, 80 per cent of expats still rated the political stability of London positively, compared to a 61 per cent global average.

“However, the impact that Brexit will have on expats’ perceptions of London and the UK in general is still unclear.”

They added: “It is unlikely to have a positive effect on expats living and working in London.”

Coming in on top was Melbourne in Australia, which was said to have a good work-life balance, followed by Houston, Texas, in second, and Spain’s capital Madrid in third.

In January of this year, it was revealed that one in every three Londoners is now born abroad, with more that half the residents in four boroughs born overseas.

In August, statistics showed that over a quarter of the births in England and Wales over the past year were to women born outside the UK – the highest level on record.