The reason they went overseas is that the prospects and the pay were more attractive. I am not even sure if they return, they can remain in employment after passing on this skills to cheaper hospitality staff from the Philippines. Filipinos are sought after as seaman and hospitality workers the world over because they are affordable and can understand English.
When I was doing ICT, we had this older chap who returned to Singapore to work in Goodwood. He had been working in SF for years and made a life there but was attracted back here. This was before the onslaught of cheaper labour. I always wondered if he survived as it one of the vulnerable sectors for cheap labour.