Expatriate life is the most sought after life, owing to so many of its benefits. It creates a lot of opportunities for those who are unable to make ends meet in their home countries due to various factors like natural disasters, lower economies and lower employment rates. Its also a great way for traveling enthusiasts to explore and experience different cultures, traditions and environments through the expat life.
Expats usually choose this life in hopes of creating career opportunities or to fulfill personal goals and dreams rather than out of desperate measures or dire economic necessity.
However, majority of the expats have been greatly affected due to the pandemic that has hit worldwide. It has forced them into unemployment, leaving no other option than to return back to their homes. Even those who hadn’t lost jobs longed to return top their homes fearing that the lockdown might never let them do so in the future. So many countries had closed their borders preventing people from communing in order to curb the spread of the pandemic.
One such example is that of Australia, where the federal government advised all the Australian expats overseas to return back to the country as they were closing the borders for all its citizens as well as non-citizens and non-residents. This announcement ensured the returning expats to Australia.
Those expats who got stuck before they could move back to their countries, however, were deeply effected in their host countries. The coronavirus pandemic brought about a huge change in the lives of such expats making it very difficult in terms of employment and other sectors. Moreover, a lot of countries have also made changes in their taxation policies that are definitely not in the favour of its expat residents.
Medical facilities, which has become top most priority in recent times that are being offered to such expats are also pretty weak in comparison to that of the citizens.
There has been a rapid increase in anxiousness in expats when lockdowns were being ordered around the world closing the borders to their home countries. Staying away from loved ones and family during such times has no doubt created a level of panic in them. This is what eventually forced them to return back in hopes of riding out the pandemic with their families instead of with strangers in a new country.
Whether you have spent months or years as an expat, it is no doubt difficult to settle back in your home countries. Returning home is usually accompanied with some mixed feelings. There is an excitement to meet old friends and family members but of course recent times has made it adamant for people to stay at home rather than meeting up in groups. There is also the uncertainty of whether or not you will be able to go back to your jobs as expats.
Either way, it’s better ride this out and not worry too much about the future in such uncertain times. The main priority has to be the health of you and your loved ones, rest everything has to take the backseat for now.
