ExpatExchange Blog

As usual, Alan Paul’s recent columns in The Expat Life on WSJ.com are excellent and should be thought of as required reading for expats at any stage of the expatriation cycle.

In his latest column, Alan write about the significant impact of repatriation on individuals and families. Many of his readers wrote to him, and he highlights several. One of the more interesting is one we occasionally touch on here at Expat Exchange. This is the reality that any long distance move - foreign or not - presents significant challenges for a healthy and happy adjustment. As someone who has moved all over the United States, I know this first hand!

British Expats in Spain have been asked to report neighbors (or neighbours, if you like) in an effort to reign in benefit fraud. It would be interesting to hear from expats there (or anywhere, for that matter) how widespread this is.

Robin Pascoe at Expat Expert has brought to our attention Yvonne McNulty’s report on the return on investment of expat programs. You can read more about it on Robin’s site or download the pdf version.

What are some of the obstacles that keep South African expats from wanting to move home? Economic opportunities and crime seem to top the list, even though the international finacial crisis has led to an increase of applications for jobs in the South African capital of Johannesburg, according to some executives there.

Can expats make a difference in their adoptive country? Some Japanese expats in Paris are attempting to do so with the addition of a Paris branch of the Greenbirds. Founded in Tokyo in 2003, the Greenbirds take the time to clean up a section of a street each month.

Clements International, a leading provider of insurance for expatriates, international schools, multinational businesses and relief organizations, is awarding its own youth scholarship in 2009. Available to students who have spent at least two years outside of their home country, Clements’ stated goal is to recognize the need to invest in the future of the expatriate community. The submission deadline is May 15, 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.expatyouthscholarship.com.

The financial industry has impacted a large number of expats, and many are either forced or choose to return home due to the change in conditions. A recent article about this topic was covered in this article about Expatriates Returning Home. For those that are living abroad, you can discuss this topic in Expat Exchange’s Living Overseas Forum for Expats.