Are expats still part of the global future?

Although the world seems to becoming more and more insular and protectionist by the minute, there are still some 50 million expatriates scattered all over the five continents.

In many ways, the 21st century could be seen as the century of the expat, as nowhere is so unfamiliar as to prevent exploration by those wishing for a more rewarding lifestyle, a larger bank balance or a more affordable, comfortable expat retirement. Even although many world countries are now turning their gaze inwards, global mobility and the expertise it brings with it is here to stay. The most important role played by expatriate expertise takes place in developing countries such as India, where modern cities exist alongside rural areas plagued by a lack of infrastructure, education, modern healthcare and comparative poverty. Good roads, services, schools, hospitals and other necessities don’t just happen, and expatriates have the experience to ensure they’re delivered as expected. Once they’re in place, everyone benefits, including the next generation of local adults trained to take their region even further forward.

Expats also contribute in many ways to local economies, simply by being there and spending their salaries with local businesses. In developing countries, expats employ locals in their businesses as well as in their homes and daily lives, creating unskilled but very necessary jobs in everything from local tourism to SMEs. All expats’ employees, as well as the expats themselves, use local markets, local services and local craftsmen, creating mini-economies of their own. Expats starting their own businesses, if permitted to do so, employ locals and train them, giving skills to the community. Of course, expatriate professionals in the top talent tier also help develop the countries in which they are based, developing and spreading knowledge wherever in the world they’re living and working. Tech entrepreneurs are the perfect example, now spreading across the globe to places such as Estonia and China rather than heading to Silicon Valley with their original ideas.

Spreading knowledge is important nowadays, not just via innovation in the tech sector but also by expats becoming lecturers in overseas universities and colleges. Although the thought of expatriates enriching local cultures may be anathema to some, it’s inevitable that the best of expats’ home countries finds a place in local cultures – even if it’s cuisine-based! Ask any UK citizen about their favourite meal – the answer will be Chicken Tikka Massala rather than fish ‘n chips! Culture lives, breaths and learns, with expats a huge part of its changes for the past several thousand years and global mobility continuing to be a part of this process in the future. For those about to emigrate, they’re all a part of it as well.