Oh the irony.

[TLR]

Bearing in mind that the vast majority, if not all of the members of this site are expats, some postings on recent threads beggar belief.
We are ALL immigrants here.
What makes anyone think they are so dammed different and special?
(Sorry Dominic, kill this new thread if you feel it best, just felt I had to get that off my chest, ashamed of some of the sentiments expressed on here)

[Dominic]

I guess we are different though. We weren't fleeing for our lives. We came over on a plane, rather than an overcrowded barely seaworthy boat.

If anybody has any objections to that sentiment, post them elsewhere. And don't moan about free speech. The internet is available for everybody to use. Set up your own site and post your evil, vindictive bile there. Not here.

[TLR]

That was my point, Dominic.
We are no different from the rest of the immigrant world, except we had the luxury of choosing to move.
We are however immigrants, and the lucky ones.
Hence my surprise at some of the postings on here.

[Kili01]

We aren’t necessarily immigrating. Many of us are simply retirees who have chosen to seek a better clmate and and a dfferent lifestyle. Many of us living in Cyprus are here on a semi permenent basis, are advised to apply for residency here. But we remain British nationals, hither to we have been living here as EU citizens, but our status here may change somewhat when /if our country chooses to Brexit the EU.
Other Brits living here are probably working either as employees, consultants or running their own businesses.
In no way are we immigrants of the ‘refugee’ type as we are all paying our own way and hopefully also contributing to the Cypriot economy.

Dee

[Jimgym]

Everyone has opinions. I don't like all of them, however it's not up to me to decide what people say or think. It's an emotive subject and one that can't be covered in a sentence or two. Generalisations do more harm than good in my opinion.

[WHL]

At the end of the day you can spin it how you want, we are all immigrants in a foreign country, you can call your self ...expat if it sounds better,

[Kili01]

WHL,
why are you appearing so hung up on immigration issues? I don’t see myself as an immigrant, we are allowed to live and to buy property in Cyprus. My only requirement to visit immigration is to register as a British resident living here. That doesn’t mean that I am immIgrating, which surely is different as to immigrate usually means an intention to leave the, UK for good. Immigrants may well be keen to apply to become a Cypriot national when they have been living here for long enough.
Dee

[Dominic]

Who cares what anybody wants to call themselves anyway? The issue was how we judge other people.

[William Morris]

El Tel, I just love your little picture. Are you friends with Al??

[PaphosAL]

My avatar was one beautiful October evening, just after a gorgeous sunset, back in 2003 @ Riccos Beach, Tel.

But I have a couple of similar snaps to yours, also taken at Viklari. Jeez, what a view, eh? And their grub is to die for! In autumn, you can even pick hot chillies fresh off their bushes on the way out (the seeds of which grew into nice new plants in my back garden in UK the folowing year)!

Yiamas! AL

[Mike.1940]

Has anybody thought the fact that Cyprus is part of the commonwealth of nations and is therefore a former British dependent.
So are we to say that all the Greek or Turkish Cypriots are all expats who reside in the U.K. Get with it people cyprus is a lovely place to reside, so as I see it there is "no irony" in what this article is saying. ( personal opinion).

[WHL]

WHL,
why are you appearing so hung up on immigration issues? I don’t see myself as an immigrant, we are allowed to live and to buy property in Cyprus. My only requirement to visit immigration is to register as a British resident living here. That doesn’t mean that I am immIgrating, which surely is different as to immigrate usually means an intention to leave the, UK for good. Immigrants may well be keen to apply to become a Cypriot national when they have been living here for long enough.
Dee

The fact that you and the rest of us. visit the immigration office now and again, answers the question....
Definition.. immigrant: one that immigrates: such as; a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence....as most of us live here permanently / own property etc ..it is what it is.

[Dominic]

No. What on Earth does it matter?

People should worry more about living their own lives and worry less about how other people live theirs. I'm not saying that's what you are doing ronk, but too many people care too much about other people's living habits in Cyprus. And when I say too many people, I mean too many UK people, expats or otherwise.

It isn't a competition.

[Kili01]

Hear, hear Dominic!
I think this thread has pretty much run its course.
Whether people live here perminently, or come and go (as many of us do) and whether we own property here or not, what does it matter as long as we register with immigrationq for residency if we intend to be here for longer than 3 months? And of course obey the laws of the country. We are all expatriates unless we have taken Cypriot nationality,or have been through a formal immigration process I suppose. We are fortunate to be able to be free to live here and do this. Similarly, the Cypriot community in London are also well treated. Some have been born there, some have previously applied to hold British passports and can have dual nationality I think too. Many Cypriots work there and there are at least 1or 2 Cypriot MP’s.

Dee

[WHL]

Hear, hear Dominic!
I think this thread has pretty much run its course.
Whether people live here perminently, or come and go (as many of us do) and whether we own property here or not, what does it matter as long as we register with immigrationq for residency if we intend to be here for longer than 3 months? And of course obey the laws of the country. We are all expatriates unless we have taken Cypriot nationality,or have been through a formal immigration process I suppose. We are fortunate to be able to be free to live here and do this. Similarly, the Cypriot community in London are also well treated. Some have been born there, some have previously applied to hold British passports and can have dual nationality I think too. Many Cypriots work there and there are at least 1or 2 Cypriot MP’s.

Dee

The '' Cypriot community ''of the UK are not Cypriots but British whos heritage is from Cyprus,...Cypriots first stated to emigrate to the UK when Cyprus was under British rule and had British nationality, their children etc etc are British, the main bulk of todays Cypriots that live in the UK, are students who are at British University's, some 5-10 thousand if I remember plus a few thousand more in work..there are no Cypriot MPs in Parliament , rather British MPs whos parents/grandparents emigrated to the UK.

[Loxely Man]

I agree

[William Morris]

El Tel and AL,

Brilliant. Made my day. Thank you.

[PaphosAL]

El Tel and AL,

Brilliant. Made my day. Thank you.

You're welcome, William- and I'm sure El Tel will agree, too!

Here's that sunset photo I was on about, taken from Riccos Beach in mid October 03 by my bosom buddy Sue..

sunset.jpg (52.98 KiB) Viewed 5193 times

Some nights at Riccos Beach, I used to be amazed at this guy who slipped into the water from the Avlantida beach next door, carrying scuba gear, an underwater lantern, and a speargun. I could see his lamp panning around when he was swimming below the surface. He always came back to the beach with a HUGE catch of fish! Astonishing to watch...

AL