This is a joke right?

Expat, a wikipedia definition..........

An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing. The word comes from the Latin terms ex ("out of") and patria ("country, fatherland").

In its broadest sense, an expatriate is any person living in a different country from where he or she is a citizen. In common usage, the term is often used in the context of professionals sent abroad by their companies, as opposed to locally hired staff (who can also be foreigners). The differentiation found in common usage usually comes down to socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn more money might be labelled an 'immigrant'. There is no set definition and usage does vary depending on context and individual preferences and prejudices.

Something about the last word, oh there is the problem, snobby "proper" expats ..........

What difference does it make what someone does for a living? A person living abroad is a person living abroad. Arguably more difficult when trying to do it on a poor wage and facing prejudices every day.

I think you are arguing over systematics in the worst place possible; a website called expat-blog! This terminology is obviously encompassing enough to include all people living in a different country from their homeland, and as far as I can tell no body else has a problem with it. Would you prefer it if all non-skilled workers had their own website (www.immigrant-blog.com, maybe?) and skilled professionals working stayed here!?

There are a many people on this website all looking for the same thing; help, advice, information and an online community that can help the difficulties of moving abroad. It is not elitist or exclusive at all.

It seems like you have a chip on your shoulder with regards to the British. 'little brits'! if you don't like British people then why are you living there? Having lived in the UK for 30 years, I also think that you are way out of kilter with views on immigration in the UK. There are certain sections of the media and society who may think negatively toward 'foreign' workers (they normally read the Daily Mail), but the vast majority do not. London is a cultural melting pot and you'll find people from all over the world living and working very happily together.

You do however make one valid point, there is nothing wrong with living in another country. Why therefore are you so upset about a valid word to describe it?

Oooh drama!  I do love good entertainment. Thanks for the giggle guys:)

Kimberly

Why can't we be both? I am an expat and I am an immigrant and I am an emigrant and I am utenlandsk.

All of these words mount up to the same thing, so what is the difference?

Not all expats on this board are economic migrants if that is what you are getting at. There are countless reasons for people to move from one country to another.

Not all of us are migrant workers at all. I haven't done a days work since moving to Norway.

Perhaps for this reason, the term expat suits more people, as it fits everybody who has emigrated, without the sometimes negative connotations that the word immigrant can have.

ZombieTron wrote:

Not all expats on this board are economic migrants if that is what you are getting at. There are countless reasons for people to move from one country to another.

Exactly! The term 'economic migrant' amuses me....... Dare I suggest that many of the guys who head for the middle east are not altruists looking to better the lot of the local people, but rather attracted to much higher salaries than can be earned in their home countries.

If that is not an economic migrant, I don't know what is :-)