Lifestyle - Expat Magazine
While living abroad is a popular desire of many worldwide, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is presenting challenges for current and future expats that they perhaps didn't foresee. Some may have no choice but to return home due to changed circumstances in their host countries, while others may choose to return home, perhaps even leaving behind their dream destinations and careers.
Lin is originally from China. She relocated to Belgium in 2009 on a student exchange program and fell in love with the country. In spite of the language barrier and cultural challenges, she made it and shares her expat experience with Expat.com.
Many expats have seen their plans fall apart over the past year, with borders closing and lockdowns in place. Staying put has been the easiest and often the best thing to do, as we were all eagerly waiting for better times. As things are now finally starting to look up and international borders are re-opening, we can't help but wonder: are expats actually still keen to work and move abroad?
People choose to become expats for many reasons, including better futures for themselves and their families, have interesting experiences, and travel. Many countries also benefit from immigration and expat-presence. However, expat life also has inherent challenges, including facing discrimination against locals at times. Conversely, in some places, locals may view expats as privileged.
It's been more than a decade since Laura, who is of Spanish origin, relocated abroad. She currently lives in Australia, a country she fell in love with during a trip from New Zealand. Today, Laura is a Purpose Coach & Expat Mentor in Sydney. She talks to us about her new expats adventure amid the pandemic.
There is definitely a world before and after Covid-19. For those aspiring to live abroad in Asia, the next world promises to be considerably different. The epidemic outbreak hitting part of the continent has left residents in limbo. Many expats have left their host country. The attractive territories are toughening their rules.
Every year, many websites rank the most attractive expat destinations, taking into account factors like economic dynamism, quality of life, the healthcare system, etc. The climate is one thing that people often fail to consider before moving abroad. Will the latest natural disasters be a game-changer?
Alexandra is a Romanian expat who followed her spouse to Berlin for his career, but that doesn't make her a trailing spouse. A diplomatic spouse rather, who is always busy volunteering, writing books and articles, and taking care of her family. She talks to us about her reality.
Senegal
Sara is a travel enthusiast and loves to discover new cultures. It has been a few months since she moved to Dakar with Djibril, her Senegalese boyfriend met in Shanghai. Sara is currently working as a volunteer in a non-profit organisation specialising in the reintegration of street children in the educational and vocational mainstream.
According to a recent article published in the Dutch media, 171,000 foreign nationals relocated to the Netherlands in 2020. This reflects 44,000 fewer expats compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic period. But it's worth noting that the pandemic has only slowed down the immigration trend.
Many expats are leaving their overseas dreams and returning home for COVID-19 pandemic-driven reasons, including job cuts, affordability, and to be with loved ones. An exodus of migrant workers may have negative impacts on economies already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, returning expats may need to adjust to a new lifestyle in their home countries all over again, especially after lengthy overseas stays.
Being an expat has many perks, especially for people who like to discover and explore. It is a great opportunity to have new and exciting experiences that may change our lives. However, not every opportunity abroad is a pleasant one. That's when we ask ourselves when is the right time to go back home.
Joanna is a Pole expat who has had a great passion for travel for many years. Today, she is based in Qatar, following her Tunisian husband, who had a job there. She talks to us about that turning point in her life and the lifestyle she really enjoys in Qatar.
Some countries have already implemented requirements for vaccination passports or proof of vaccination from travellers, and some others are going even further by requesting health passports to attend regular day-to-day activities. The health passport requirements may encourage more people to get vaccinated, but not everyone is happy with such restrictions.
Expats in South Africa, even those who live far from major cities, are quite terrified but also in doubt following the recent riots. The arrest of former President Jacob Zuma resulted in several days of violence and nearly two hundred deaths. South Africa is stuck between the pandemic and the social crisis.
If you've just retired or are about to retire, you might have considered a change of scenery for the rest of your life. But retiring abroad isn't all about choosing a destination based on the lifestyle you want to have. In this pandemic era, here are some crucial steps that you probably haven't thought of.
Anna was born in Ireland but spent many years abroad, including in Europe and Asia. She currently lives in Botswana, where she followed her husband who got a job offer there. Anna talks to us about her life experiences and challenges of relocating overseas and adapting to a new culture.
As if the COVID-19 pandemic were not enough, several countries in Europe and America, including the United States and Spain, and even Morocco, are currently facing unbearable heat waves. Expats living in these countries shared their feelings with us.
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