Island enjoys a safe, chilled life say expats

[Paphos Life]

Roughly 70 million people around the world are expats; people who live outside the country of their birth through choice. The definition is hazy and hotly debated (where do immigrants and refugees fit in? How long do you have to stay before you’re no longer an expat? ). But one thing, according to a new survey from expatriate platform InterNations, is clear: expats in Cyprus – which hosts thousands of Brits, along with substantial numbers from Australia, South Africa, America, Canada and Russia – are not terribly happy.

Read the article and chat about it below...

[Devil]

The article is not relevant for retirees.

[Dominic]

Not everybody here is a retiree.

[PhotoLady]

Not everyone is an Expat either....

Are you an expat or an immigrant?

It's an interesting article, long and a bit dated but explains a lot of the furore surrounding the Brexit vote as well.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20 ... d-an-expat

[Jim B]

We called ourselves Expats as our place of abode was the UK but we worked overseas, now I just class myself as an immigrant.

[Uncle D]

I've always been under the impression that "ex pats" was an expression invented by Brits because they didn't like being called immigrants

It is a ploy to set us apart from other immigrants, saying that we are superior to them

[WHL]

If your home is here you are an immigrant, simple

[Devil]

I've always been under the impression that "ex pats" was an expression invented by Brits because they didn't like being called immigrants

The term is obviously a shortened version of ex-patriot.

An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. Expatriates are immigrants that maintain cultural ties such as the language of their country of origin.

Wiki

Ibid has more details, including United States Expatriation Act of 1868 . Sorry, it looks like the Americans beat it to us again!

[galexinda]

We called ourselves Expats as our place of abode was the UK but we worked overseas, now I just class myself as an immigrant.

Indeed - so long as no one refers to me as a 'guest' in Cyprus I am happy.

[Dominic]

I've always associated expat to mean somebody who is working abroad temporarily. So you would have an expat community in mines, building projects etc.

If you move out permanently you are an immigrant. But we are all guests of the country we move to, wherever that may be.

But I don't think it is a peculiarly British expression is it? The French have a word for somebody who works in a country that isn't their own:

1. Person who has been expatriated , who has expatriated.
2. Refers to an employee who carries out his activity in a country other than his own.

expatrié, expatriée
adjectif et nom

1. Personne qui a été expatriée, qui s'est expatriée.
2. Se dit d'un salarié qui exerce son activité dans un pays autre que le sien.

[Kili01]

Quite so, Dominic!
When my husband was employed in Hong Kong with an international airline, all foreigners working there were referred to as Expats, from which ever country they came from.
I don't think its that important whether British, expats from their birth country are called expats. What's more important is to keep ones passport and residency document up to date.
And to show respect for the laws and customs of the country, and respect and friendliness to all Cypriots and other nationals who live here.

Dee