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Spanish NHS nurse and family leaving the UK due to racial abuse
| Published: | 19 Jan at 6 PM |
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A Spanish nurse who’s worked in the NHS for 15 years is uprooting her family and moving back to Spain after having been the victim of post-Brexit referendum racial abuse.
Alaya de la Ignesia, a Norfolk-based nurse working in the NHS, is relocating to her home country with he family after facing ‘unchallenged’, continual racial abuse. She arrived in the UK 17 years ago, and has been a National Heath Service nurse for 15 years. Although she’s sad at having to uproot her family, she’s convinced moving back home and setting up her own business will protect her two sons from what she believes will be increasing prejudice, violence and unrest post-Brexit.
Alaya told local media she’s no longer fighting for Britain, adding countries such as Italy and Spain have seen a brain drain over the past few decades but are welcoming returnees with open arms. The abuse became so bad she was off work for four months due to anxiety and severe stress symptoms, during which time she made the decision to leave.
She’s now distressed about the reaction her decision engendered from people she thought were her friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
She told reporters everyone she knows is simply not saying anything about her leaving, with their apathy causing her far more pain than the actual abuse. Her experience isn’t the first and, sadly, won’t be the last of its kind, as other expat NHS nurses and qualified medical professionals are reporting racial abuse on social media. Some are stating they no longer feel safe in the UK and are also planning to return to their home countries.
Alaya de la Ignesia, a Norfolk-based nurse working in the NHS, is relocating to her home country with he family after facing ‘unchallenged’, continual racial abuse. She arrived in the UK 17 years ago, and has been a National Heath Service nurse for 15 years. Although she’s sad at having to uproot her family, she’s convinced moving back home and setting up her own business will protect her two sons from what she believes will be increasing prejudice, violence and unrest post-Brexit.
Alaya told local media she’s no longer fighting for Britain, adding countries such as Italy and Spain have seen a brain drain over the past few decades but are welcoming returnees with open arms. The abuse became so bad she was off work for four months due to anxiety and severe stress symptoms, during which time she made the decision to leave.
She’s now distressed about the reaction her decision engendered from people she thought were her friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
She told reporters everyone she knows is simply not saying anything about her leaving, with their apathy causing her far more pain than the actual abuse. Her experience isn’t the first and, sadly, won’t be the last of its kind, as other expat NHS nurses and qualified medical professionals are reporting racial abuse on social media. Some are stating they no longer feel safe in the UK and are also planning to return to their home countries.
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