Vacationing expats told to get e-passports in Manila

Philippine consulate in Dubai is trying to beat the October 15, 2015, deadline of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for all countries to use e-passports for travel. 

Filipino expatriates are being urged to secure an electronic passport in Manila to reduce the huge number of passport applications at the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Dubai. The consulate is trying to beat the October 15, 2015, deadline of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for all countries to use e-passports for travel.

The daily turnout of applicants at the PCG is pegged at 250, but only 230 are made available for online system appointments, while the remaining 20 are reserved for children and pregnant women.

Consul Giovanni E. Palec said at this rate of turnout, it is “difficult” for the PCG to accommodate all applicants for e-passports in Dubai and the Northern Emirates — which is estimated to be around two-thirds of the 525,000 Filipinos in the UAE — before the ICAO deadline. “We tried to maximise the number to 300 before but three of our encoding machines bogged down. So we reduced the number to 250 daily.”

He advised applicants who are unable to keep their appointment date to cancel them ahead of time, so that urgent applications can be accommodated.

“When we put up an online appointment system, applicants can choose the dates convenient for them. But we have noticed that some of them fail to come for their appointments. Many have come as walk-in applicants, but we cannot accommodate them unless we see cancellations online. So, we encourage those who cannot come on their appointed day to cancel it so others can be accommodated,” Palec said.

Consul Palec also revealed that lately only half of the 4,000 e-passports have reached Dubai, which means that there is an ongoing backlog in the delivery of e-passports from Manila to Dubai.

“We were told by Manila that only four to five machines are working in the Department of Foreign Affairs for passport processing because several machines have bogged down.”

He said that those who have already applied should check the consulate website, www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph, from time to time. “We destroy passports which have not been claimed for six months from the date of issue.”

He advised all Filipino residents in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to make sure they are no longer using the 2010 green passports.

Palec admitted that the number of Filipinos in Dubai is growing fast especially after Dubai won its bid to host the World Expo 2020. “Lots of Filipinos anticipate burgeoning jobs while Dubai is preparing for 2020. So, they come in hordes,” he said.

lily@khaleejtimes.com

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http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/community/2014/August/community_August10.xml&section=community

EXPATS IN FOR A WAITING GAME

By Vinod Nair -

MUSCAT — The expatriate working and business community in Oman is going through some anxious
moments following a slew of new measures, including the two-year visa ban rule, implemented by the Ministry of Manpower and the Royal Oman Police (ROP).
Authorities, though, claimed that these new rules were initiated to regulate the number of expatriates in Oman and reorganise the workforce in tune with the needs of local trade and industry.
The new visa rule, which was announced in May this year and came into force from July 1, states any foreign worker who wants to switch jobs within Oman must have the consent of the previous employer.
According to officials from the ROP, the need to furnish an NOC from the previous employer will help understand the kind of relationship that a new recruit had with his old management. But the people Observer spoke to were not too excited about sharing details about their job options with the employers.
Ismail from Sudan, who is a translator at a law firm, said that he will now look for more options in other GCC countries. “It is unthinkable that my firm will let me join a competitor. Even if they agree to raise my salary, I would still prefer a change after a few years.”
Girish Chandra, an expat employee, said, “I have a cordial relationship of 17 years with my employers. I see no reason for them to stop me in case I seek to change a job for better prospects. But the bone of contention is that I don’t want to share details about my new job with them, especially in the initial stages.”
Kishore who has been working with a travel agency for almost a decade was planning to look for new job options following the end of his two-year contract later this year. “No I have to rework my plans because I doubt whether my employer will furnish me with a no-objection certificate or not. Also, if they do agree to provide one, I am not sure what type of conditions they will put forward.”
P Chandrashekar, group general manager, Jawad Sultan Group, said, “The mobility/transfer of employment that was freely available to the expatriate staff is now restricted due to the introduction of new visa rules. However, it is too early to assess its impact since these are early days. But, demotivation can set in where the employee, not happy with the current job finds it difficult to move and take up a new assignment.”
Expatriate businessmen, especially those involved in shipping and logistics services, are going through a phase of transition with the relocation of commercial services to Sohar from Muscat.
Joy has been running a shipping and logistics services business from Muscat. He said that with the port operations shifting to Sohar, I have to rearrange my strategies because my business was well-established in the capital.
“I am now forced to travel to Sohar at least once a week because the core activity has shifted there. “Also there are a few teething problems, which make me shuttle often between the two cities with a distance of around almost 200 km and more.”
Ashraf who runs a cargo operation said that running business during this period of transition from Muscat to Sohar is very difficult. “Do not forget that we have to pay minimum wages as mandated by the government, which is also difficult with business travelling in the south bound direction.” But he said that, as of now, there are no plans for some extreme measures. We are hopeful that things will look better in the months to come.”
Generally, certain indicators point towards how things will unfold in the months to come and in Muscat it is usually the rush for school leaving certificates or admissions.
Sridevi Thashnath, Principal, Indian School Darsait, said, “I went through the details of the TC cases and did not find any unusual withdrawals. It’s almost the same pattern, but have noticed that there is a huge demand for admissions, which we are not able to meet due to limited availability. It’s indeed a concern for the expat families for which some solutions should be worked out.”
G D C Rao, administration manager at Indian School Ghubra, echoed the same opinion. “There is nothing abnormal and unusual as far as school withdrawals are concerned this academic year,” he said. Other schools also claimed no unusual trends in student withdrawals this year.
Automobile sales executives, who requested not to be named, admitted that there has been a slowdown in sales right through the Ramadhan and Eid seasons. “As we have a wait and watch policy, we expect sales to pick up with the launch of 2015 models by almost all brands in the coming months.”
Advertisements for sale of used cars at throwaway prices have seen a spurt on social media platforms, but again it is difficult to come to a conclusion.
As classified advertisements through social media is just picking up in Muscat, we are seeing more such ads of old and used items online. “Earlier, such advertisements were restricted to popular newspapers, but now that has changed and more free platforms are available,” said Sunil, an auto sales executive.

http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=103303

Saudi women married to expats eligible for housing support

While Saudi women want to be treated on par with men in getting housing support, the executive list to organize housing support published on the ministry’s website clarifies doubts in their mind.
It reveals the existence of four cases where Saudi women are eligible for housing support from the Ministry of Housing. Saudi women married to foreigners who have children can benefit from housing support.
The housing crisis in Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest problems with more than 70 percent of citizens suffering from lack of private residence.
The executive list to support housing support clarified that Saudi women can get housing support from the ministry if they take care of a family that is made up of a Saudi citizen with a special need or a foreigner, in addition to a child or more. The children should not be more than 25 years old, and the woman should be the sole provider for the family.
The second case involves divorced Saudi women who support their children under 25 years, and unmarried girls. The third case includes widows who support children under 25 years old, and the fourth case is of single orphan girls with non-Saudi mothers, with the mother as the only provider for the girl.
The Ministry of Housing said in a press statement that it is committed to the time limit it defined before to distribute housing support for beneficiaries and provide suitable housing for those who don’t own an accommodation.
It pointed out that housing projects will be distributed according to a mechanism that guarantees justice and transparency for those who meet the rules of housing support.
Work is continuing for the implementation of 60 projects to complete 60,000 housing units. The ministry received 11 projects and work is under way on 95 projects.
The ministry made it clear that families benefiting from social insurance who receive monthly aid from the Ministry of Social Affairs will not be given residence under the Iskan program.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/617026

The great pensions divide... How expats receive up to FOUR TIMES less, despite paying in the same

British expatriates whose state pension is frozen at the rate they started to draw the money are being urged to have it uprated every time they make a return visit to the UK.

More than a million pensioners have retired abroad but more than half have seen their incomes shrink over time because the level of pension is frozen on the date they take their first payment.

While those moving to European countries or the US enjoy the same annual cost of living increases as pensioners over here, people heading to popular retirement destinations such as Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand see the real value of their pensions dwindle each year.

Sheila Telford, chair of the action group International Consortium of British Pensioners, says: ‘People work all their lives and make their contributions so they should be entitled to see their pensions increase after they retire either back to the country they came from or to live near relatives who have emigrated.’

As a protest against the rules, she suggests expats apply to have their pension uprated whenever they return to the UK for a holiday. She says: ‘I live in Canada and although the uprating only covers the time you are in the UK, I do it when I come home just for the nuisance value.’

However, the pension amount paid will revert to the frozen value when they go back home. 
About 550,000 British expatriate pensioners are scattered among 120 countries – the majority living in Commonwealth countries where the UK state pension is not increased annually.

European Union obligations mean the Government must up rate pensions for expatriates living in European area countries. 

For those in other countries, such as the US, there are longstanding bilateral agreements where the UK has a legal arrangement to increase payments because that country does the equivalent for its expatriates.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman says: ‘This has always been the case and people who are considering emigrating abroad should always consider the impact the move could have on their future state pension entitlement.’

The cost of boosting these pensions – estimated at £590 million a year – means successive governments have resisted demands for them to be brought in line with those at home.

Ninety-year-old Elsie Owens from Denton, Manchester, retired from the Greater Manchester Police in 1986 aged 62. Elsie, who lives with her son Philip, 65, receives her full entitlement of £113.10 a week – and this has risen every year since she started drawing it 28 years ago.

Not so for her older sister Enid Brown, 94, who emigrated 4,000 miles away to Calgary, Canada, in 1982. Her pension is frozen at just £29.60 a week – a quarter of the value of her sister’s payment.

Many expatriates, like Enid, are unaware that when they leave the UK they will receive less than others, even though they made equivalent National Insurance contributions. 

She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The Government is mean in its treatment of pensioners and I was never told that my pension would be frozen. If I had retired just a few miles over the border to the US I would have had my full state pension for the past 30 years.

‘I can’t live without dipping into my savings and I spend my time watching what food I buy. There are only ever the basics, never any luxuries. I have contributed to Britain financially my whole life including during the war and I don’t think it’s fair we get so little in return.’

Elsie agrees: ‘If you go to Spain your pension follows you, but if you retire somewhere like Canada in the Commonwealth it doesn’t. I thought the point of Commonwealth countries was that they are meant to help each other.’

To find out about uprating your state pension – or that of a friend or relative – during a visit to the UK call The Pensions Service on 0191 218 7777.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-2726619/The-great-pensions-divide-How-expats-receive-FOUR-TIMES-despite-paying-same.html#ixzz3AgBvHENV
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Mumbai through an expat's eyes

Most of them are from First World countries, where the streets are clean and pothole-free, where people abide by rules and there is no dearth of creature comforts. For expats, you'd think that Mumbai, with all its chaos, its cramped houses and dirty streets, would be more of a nightmare than a home. Yet, despite its countless drawbacks, the cosmopolitan city continues to attract lakhs of migrants every year, of which the expat community forms a considerable chunk. Each has his/her own story, vision and interpretation of life in Mumbai. A peek at the city through their eyes:
Name: Danielle F.
Job: Deputy manager at a multi-national corporation
Nationality: American
In Mumbai since: July 2013
What I like about Mumbai
People are incredibly hospitable. When I ask random women for directions they always stop to help me. It is very possible to have a comfortable life here and without much money. You can hire help for almost anything, which can be quite a luxury, though it can come with some disadvantages as well.
What I don't like
Taxi/auto drivers don't want to take you where you want to go. Its difficult to watch beggar children and maimed beggars on the streets. They are just as human as I am and they haven't been dealt a great deck of cards. However, I still choose not to give them money as this usually goes towards a racket rather than helping them. Repairmen come at their own sweet time. Dealing with banks is complicated. For example, why can't I just change my email address online instead of having someone from the bank come to me have me sign something?
Name: Martin Wright
Job: Director with a non-profit advisory based in Colaba
Nationality: British
In Mumbai since: October 2013
What I like
I like the friendliness of the city, everyone is quite easy-going and open-minded. Despite it being so overcrowded, I like the way people here manage to find their way on roads, stations and other public places. I have never witnessed any road rage and I am saying so because I ride a bicycle around the city. Even though people drive all over they are still in control, there is no aggression. In London I see much more pent up aggression in people while on the road. I also enjoy the tourist attractions. People love waving at me and I don't mind being amusing to them.
What I don't like
It's a very noisy city. Taxi drivers are incapable of driving without burping horns every few minutes. Once I was going to the airport through Peddar road at 4 am. There was no traffic on the road, yet the driver was honking right under a no honking sign. I feel sorry when I pass through such wonderful old buildings in south Mumbai which are lying in utter neglect. I wish something is done to restore them. I also feel it's a shame that Mumbai has such a huge water front but most of it is not maintained. The city does not have enough gardens and open spaces.
Name: Heather Gupta
Job: Chief talent officer at the 120 Media Collective and author of 'Becoming Mrs Kumar' — A work of fiction inspired from her experience of being married to an Indian and living in Mumbai.
Nationality: British
In Mumbai since: October 2003
What I like
I moved to Mumbai just in time for Diwali which was an exciting, loud, and thoroughly energising time to arrive. I initially came here after being offered a job by a large advertising agency, and immediately felt a very strong connection with the city. There is something about its energy which is very appealing. It is fast paced, exhilarating and there's a real sense that 'anything is possible', which I love.
I never intended to stay here for so long, its been almost 11 years since I first arrived here, but a combination of factors kept me here. People are incredibly warm and hospitable, and I found myself constantly being invited to social gatherings. Life here as a single girl was a lot of fun. I met my husband Vivek in 2007 and we decided to get married a year later, so that was another good reason to stay in Mumbai!
What I don't like
When something as simple as the air conditioner in my house needed fixing, I would often struggle to find someone who could do it, explain to them what I needed, and arrange a time for them to come. When I opened my first Indian bank account, I pulled my hair out trying to submit all the necessary documents required to undertake what seemed like a very straightforward process. Trying to ensure I paid people fairly was also a challenge, I often got vastly overcharged for things at the beginning. Taxi drivers would double their fares, I'd get charged extra by the vegetable wallah etc, even the police would hike up their fines when they saw me in the car. It was really difficult to know whether I should accept it as part and parcel of being a foreigner, or fight for what was fair, i.e. the same treatment as the locals.
I do wish I could make it a cleaner place, the pollution really gets to me and the state of the beaches and the filthy ocean are really depressing. But one day, maybe that will all change. I absolutely love living in Mumbai, but I do think, as an expat, that it is important to take a break from the city every couple of months or so, whether its a short trip to Goa, or a longer trip back to the UK, it is critical to get a breather and a perspective on the city which literally never sleeps.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-through-an-expat-s-eyes-2011286

Having a baby as an expat can be expensive

Maternity cover can add hundreds of pounds to the price of an international medical insurance plan for those planning a family. Peter Pallot asesses the options

Having a baby as an expat can be expensive
Maternity cover can add hundreds of pounds to the price of an international medical insurance plan for those planning a family. Peter Pallot asesses the options
Hoping for a baby and planning a life abroad? The obvious answer for a new expat is to “tag on” maternity cover when she buys medical insurance.
It’s also obvious to insurers that you’re not buying an extra benefit for fun. If you buy you’ll probably claim. Insurers reduce their exposure by imposing a moratorium – usually 10 months – so that claims are only valid after this period has passed.
But maternity cover is still expensive, with much depending on where the expat is based. This reflects local charges for maternity care. For routine deliveries, these are around US$4,000 in the Middle East and $15,000 in America.
Rather than hit would-be mothers with a big additional fee for maternity cover, many insurers roll it into the “core” of their top-range plans and exclude it altogether on their basic and mid-range plans.
You could define that approach as slick marketing as some buyers will be forced into taking high overall cover. Or you could view it as a perk for mothers, as the added risk is spread across all policyholders, including men.
Insurance adviser Stephen Walker commented: “Most providers make you take a higher level of cover if you want maternity benefit, and spread the risk – it’s how the actuaries cover off the added liability.”
Axa PPP’s Comprehensive plan does not include maternity cover. A 30-year-old in the Middle East with Comprehensive would pay £1,385 a year. If she wanted maternity benefit she would have to switch to Axa’s top plan, Prestige, costing an extra £671.
Insurer IMG is an exception. It makes maternity cover a specific add-on.
The 30-year-old woman in the Middle East buying IMG Fusion with a small excess and without the add-on would pay only £841 a year. Mr Walker describes the plan as a “competitive choice offering a good all-round comprehensive cover.”
But maternity cover costs £2,200 a year on top, multiplying the overall premium for Prestige two-and-a-half times.
Maternity services have so much improved that the health of the mother is less likely to be a cause for concern than that of the baby. If long-term complications arise, either in mother or child, a plan with good chronic disease cover provides some relief.
Mr Walker, of Medical Insurance Services in Brighton, said: “Most insurers will cover the child as long as it is registered within a certain time, usually 30 days.
“If the plan includes chronic disease cover, which is much more common with international insurance, you get the long-term care within the limits of the plan.”
Would-be mothers might have the EU gender directive to thank for not being penalised when they buy cover incorporating maternity benefit. The directive may have influenced some health insurers – motor insurers were certainly affected – but the general rule on the health side is to treat the two sexes equally. They pay the same premiums, even though women claim more, especially younger age groups.
As an example, Now Health, headquartered in Hong Kong, and mainly active in Asia, is gender neutral. Its Apex plan imposes a year’s wait period from the date of cover purchase to the commencement of the pregnancy before maternity benefit kicks in.
However such measures are less necessary when numbers are involved, according to Mark Dickinson, underwriting director of the insurer. He said: “For group business where the employer buys medical insurance coverage for its staff, the waiting period can be removed.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/before-you-go/11032603/Having-a-baby-as-an-expat-can-be-expensive.html

Lankan expat jailed for drug dealing

A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a Sri Lankan expatriate to three years in jail and fined him QR 200,000 for dealing in drugs, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday.

The man would be deported on completing his sentence. He was caughtle trying to sell marijuana to an undercover police agent. The Drug Prevention Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) had received a tip-off about suspicious behavior by the accused.

An undercover agent asked him for the drugs and the accused told him that he would give him the marijuana for QR2,200 at a certain location. Eventually, the undercover policeman met the accused at the agreed location and the accused handed him a package containing the drug while the policeman handed him the money. All this took place while police personnel watched from a distance.

The accused was then arrested at which point he tried to throw the money on the ground but policemen caught him and searched his accommodation. They found about 1,583gm of marijuana, as later confirmed by the forensic evidence laboratory, and some scattered pieces of magazine papers used for folding, besides a scale believed to be used to weigh the drugs.

However, the accused denied all charges and pleaded innocence during investigation by the Public Prosecution.  Ultimately, the court found him guilty and convicted him based on the testimony of the policemen and the quantity of illicit drugs found at his residence.

http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/404447/lankan-expat-jailed-for-drug-dealing

German expat makes six-figure annual income from letting properties on Airbnb

DUBAI // At first glance, Airbnb may seem tailored to travellers seeking bargain rooms to crash for the night.
But for one Dubai resident, the website is the source of a six-figure annual income, attracting “VIP” guests willing to pay top dollar.
Christian, who did not give his family name, said he makes a “six-digit” dollar sum each year renting out his homes through Airbnb.
The German expatriate has three properties listed on the website, and another rental home that is being refurbished.
They include a three-bedroom, waterfront villa on The Palm Jumeirah, which is available to rent for Dh3,760 a night. For that you get use of a private pool, driver, chef, maid service and cars.
“I would have expected the clients to have mainly been backpackers the bargain hunters,” Christian said. “But it’s absolutely not the case. We have high-profile people, even VIPs, renting our properties through Airbnb.”
He also rents out a four-bedroom home in Florida for Dh937 a night and a ski chalet in Austria for Dh1,091, both on Airbnb.
“It is a fantastic platform,” Christian said. “I have been doing this business for so long and it has really revolutionised it.
“All the money transactions are going through Airbnb. You can literally manage the properties from the iPhone app. It doesn’t matter where you are.”
Christian’s primary residence is in Dubai but he also rents that out when he travels.
He is not worried about security because he has staff based permanently at the property who keep an eye on it for him.
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/tourism/german-expat-makes-six-figure-annual-income-from-letting-properties-on-airbnb

Retiring abroad? Bring a sense of adventure

With more older Americans retiring to la dolce vita abroad, it pays to keep in mind the perks and potential pitfalls when the sweet life gets complicated.
Dan Prescher and his wife, Suzan Haskins, became expats shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and have lived in four countries since then.
For the past four years, Prescher, 60, and Haskins, 58, have been living in Cotacachi, Ecuador.
They are editors with International Living, a company that promotes the expat lifestyle in websites and live conferences.

The company recently noted Social Security Administration data that showed the agency sent 613,650 benefit checks outside the United States in June, up from 242,128 in 2002, the year after the terrorist attacks.
Prescher believes that the figures underrepresent the number of American retirees living abroad, he said, because some of them continue to have checks sent to U.S. banks.
We caught up via phone with the couple and asked them to share a little about how they're making it all work. An edited transcript follows:

         

Q: Living abroad sounds romantic, but how difficult are the mechanics of getting there?
Prescher: There's a lot of bureaucracy, and visa requirements are changing all the time.
You can do a lot of research now on the Internet, so that helps a lot, but every country is different. We recommend getting an on-the-ground attorney or visa facilitator. They can actually go with you to the immigration offices.
Q: Why Ecuador?
Haskins: We like it here because of the climate and (low) cost of living. The Ecuadorean people are really wonderful too. They go out of their way to help you. Every day here is 75 degrees and beautiful. We never pay more than $30 a month for utilities.
Prescher: It's the best bang for the buck that we know of, and this country lacks for nothing in infrastructure.
We live in a condo complex built by an Ecuadorean developer. Our place is 1,100 square feet, and we paid $52,000 for it when we bought it four years ago. The property taxes are $53 a year. All in, our living expenses are $1,500 a month.
Q: What does that exclude?
Haskins: Those are our daily living expenses.
It doesn't include travel or health insurance, and because we are serial relocaters, we have an international health insurance plan, which is more expensive than buying a (localized) policy.
It also doesn't include a car, because we've found we don't need one.
Q: Have you met many U.S. retirees there who are continuing to pay for Medicare premiums even though they can't access benefits while abroad?
Prescher: It seems like about half are keeping current on their plans in case they want or need to go back (to the United States) when they're older.
Q: What advice would you give to people thinking about retiring outside the U.S.?
Prescher: Do a lot of research and then spend as much time on the ground as you can before you pull the trigger. You can do a lot of research and then get someplace and it feels completely different than what you thought. You need patience, a sense of humor and a sense of adventure. You should be running to something, not away from something.
Haskins: I think the people who are most successful are the ones who are very flexible and able to go with the flow.
The more you can adapt to new situations, the better off you'll be.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/sc-cons-0814-journey-20140815-story.html

Staying happy as an expat

The rewards of emigrating can be huge - warm weather, a relaxed pace of life and cheaper living costs so salaries and pensions go a lot further. But moving abroad can be tough. It throws up all kinds of challenges, from arranging a mortgage in a foreign country to setting up a bank account overseas.
It’s no wonder, then, that some expats are happier than others. But it seems a lot of it’s down to the country we choose.
Dr David Bartram, of the University of Leicester, researched migrants from the UK and five other northern European countries who moved to Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. These traditional expat hotspots are among the favourite places Britons move to but he found expats were often not as happy as those that had stayed at home.
In the research paper, which was presented at the British Sociological Association’s annual conference last month, the academic notes that “migration itself can be disruptive to other dimensions of people’s lives – social ties, sense of belonging – possibly with consequences for their happiness”.
Last year a global survey showed British people living abroad are happiest in Canada, with Australia second and China bottom. Clearly the weather is not the key issue - language and cultural barriers must be considered as a part of the happiness equation when moving overseas.
Arranging a move abroad can certainly be stressful and adapting to a new culture is hard work. That’s why it’s so important to have all the help you can when moving overseas.
Sorting the financial side is key - worries about money will only lead to greater unhappiness. Whether buying a property abroad or arranging for regular monthly payments to be made from the UK, Currencies Direct can help with the important things. At least if the money side is in hand you can get on with adapting to your new daily life relatively stress free.
Unlike most banks, foreign exchange specialists like Currencies Direct won’t hit you with transfer fees and hidden charges or baffle you with mind-numbing jargon. They’ll take the time to get to know you, to can tailor their service to you and what you want to achieve. After all, it’s your money.
Contact a foreign exchange provider; they can get you a better foreign currency deal – today.
There’s no complicated sign-up process. Fill in a simple online form or they can do it for you over the phone. Either way, they’ll be saving you money in minutes; so you can enjoy the yacht, holiday home or whatever else your money buys you.
No hassle, no stress. Register today and start making the most of your money.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/service/advertorials/staying-happy-as-an-expat-30511573.html

Swiss banks slammed for expat business policy

The Swiss Abroad community is calling on the government to ensure their right to a savings account. They also want parliament to maintain the mandatory registration of expats in case of political crises and other emergencies.

The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), meeting in Aarau on Friday, passed two separate resolutions with overwhelming majorities.
Rino Büchel, a vice president of the assembly, said the time was right to push ahead with demands for the majority state-owned Post Finance to provide Swiss expatriates with an account to keep their savings, pensions or other declared funds as well as to make it possible for them to take out mortgages for their properties in Switzerland.
“It has finally become an issue of domestic interest in Switzerland after more than five years,” he said.
During an extended session, the assembly heard numerous complaints by delegates about harsh and discriminatory treatment by Swiss banks.
Several speakers said the Swiss Abroad were “collateral damage” of the mistakes made by many banks in the past.
“It’s unfair to be made the scapegoat,” said Erich Bloch, delegate from Israel.

Political pressure

Other delegates, including Marcel Grossenbacher from Nigeria, cautioned against hasty decisions and called for a realistic approach without resorting to blunt “bank bashing”.
Büchel, who is also a parliamentarian, hopes the resolution will boost his chances to increase pressure on a political level. He says an estimated 100,000 expats could benefit from a guarantee for an account with Post Finance.
A leading consumer protection group will reportedly investigate ways to force Swiss banks to give all Swiss citizens – and notably the 732,000 registered expatriates – access to an account and provide them with certain financial services.
Following moves by the United States to crack down on tax fraud, many Swiss banks have asked their customers, notably expatriates, to close their accounts amid concerns of reprisals.
The Swiss Bankers Association says offshore asset management has become too costly and risky in many countries.
“The Swiss Abroad have to pay taxes in their countries of residence and are subject to the local law. The banks have to know the rules and regulations of the respective states. This is costly and carries certain risks,” says association spokesman Thomas Sutter.

Mandatory registration

As parliament is due to resume discussions on a new law on the Swiss Abroad, the assembly adopted a resolution on Friday calling for maintenance of the mandatory registration of expatriates.
The delegates said it was crucial to know the whereabouts of individual expatriates in cases of conflicts and disasters.
However, Jürg Burri, head of the consular unit in the Swiss foreign ministry, said it made little sense to enshrine mandatory registration with Swiss representations abroad in a law if violations of the planned regulations cannot be enforced.
Instead he called on Swiss expatriates to register voluntarily as responsible citizens and as part of their civic duty.
The issue is still pending in parliament, as the Senate and the House of Representatives disagree on mandatory registration after a first round of debates.

E-democracy

The council meeting in Aarau, attended by about 90 delegates from around the world, came ahead of the Congress of the Swiss Abroad in the nearby town of Baden.
The congress will focus on the role of social media and electronic voting in democracy. The keynote speaker at the two-day event is Interior Minister Alain Berset.
The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) is pushing for the introduction of e-voting for all expatriate citizens for the 2015 parliamentary elections.
Currently about 155,000 Swiss citizens have registered to take part in ballot box decisions, including regular votes on issues or in elections

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-banks-slammed-for-expat-business-policy/40554828

Time is up for expat tax loophole, and that's a good thing

The government plans to stop expats claiming personal allowance

Plans to close a tax loophole that has benefited expats may hit older people but its time we start thinking about those left in the UK rather than outside it.

There are rumours that chancellor George Osborne plans to put an end to a tax loophole that lets non-residents offset income against their personal allowance. This means that those no longer living in the country will no longer be able to take the first £10,000 of income, whether that's from a pension or second property, tax-free.

It's about time this abuse of the tax system was closed down as it costs £400 million a year. Expats have decided to leaves, to take their money elsewhere and crucially spend it in a different economy. They no longer contribute tax to the UK, not just income tax, but council tax, VAT and other indirect taxations, so why should the UK give them a tax break?

People will argue that many of those expats are retired and have paid into the British system their entire life so deserve to get something back – well they do, a state pension that we're all still paying for. If they're not contributing to the coffers by spending their pension in this country then it shouldn't benefit from a personal allowance, it's as simple as that.

Property argument

Of course, there is another reason why the personal allowance for expats should be scrapped: property.

There are 175,000 people who live abroad and earn money from a property, again money that is earned in the UK but not spent here.

Tax experts are already foretelling of a sell-off in expat property in the UK if they can't earn £10,000 of their rental income tax free each year, and to that I say: good.

We need more properties in this country, what we don't need is landlords making a few quid off a rental property and taking a huge chunk of that money away to another country without paying tax on it.

You could see the clampdown on expats as a redistribution of wealth; expat has to sell home because they'll get taxed, meaning a person who needs a home in the UK can actually buy one and hopefully at an affordable rate as a mass sell-off in expats rental homes would even out the supply-demand equation.

Expats have had it too easy, you can't just take from a country without giving back and it would seem the government has finally caught up with them.

http://money.aol.co.uk/2014/08/15/time-is-up-for-expat-tax-loophole-and-thats-a-good-thing/

Expats urged to review sources of UK income amid tax raid plans

Property owners and pensioners who face losing their personal tax allowances can take steps now to protect themselves, say experts

Expats facing the possibility of losing their personal allowance under a tax raid proposed by George Osborne should not panic but look carefully at where their UK sources of income come from, according to experts.

The estimated 175,000 people who live abroad and earn an income from property in Britain could be affected, as could retirees. The measure could cut an expat couple’s income by up to £4,000 a year.

At present, EU nationals and British expats can offset income earned in the UK against the £10,000 personal allowance. Under the Chancellor’s proposals, this would be restricted to people with a “strong economic connection” to Britain.

Many of the 1.2 million British retirees living overseas will not pay extra tax on their pension because they are either UK residents for tax purposes, as they spend half the year in Britain, or because most state or private pensions are only taxable in the country of residence.

However, UK government pensions are only taxable in Britain, meaning that unless the Treasury introduces exceptions, former civil servants, NHS workers and council officials living overseas will pay more tax.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/expat-money/11031690/Expats-urged-to-review-sources-of-UK-income-amid-tax-raid-plans.html

Four-year bar on expats unacceptable, says JCCI

‘No exceptions, decision applies to foreigners born in Kingdom too’

Saudi Gazette report



JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor has said it will not make any exceptions to its decision not to allow private firms falling in the yellow level of the Nitaqat Saudization program to keep their foreign manpower for more than four years even as top industry officials questioned the viability of the decision, which they said will be difficult to implement.

"Not even the manpower with accumulated experience or those born in Saudi Arabia will be exempted from the decision," business daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Wednesday quoting an official source in the ministry.

The decision will come into effect on Oct. 25 and six months later, the period of stay will be reduced to two years only.

"The decision will strictly apply to all expatriates working for any of the firms in the yellow Nitaqat category whose stay in the Kingdom has exceeded four years," he said.

The source, however, said expatriate workers of these companies will be allowed to transfer their residence permits to firms in the platinum and green Nitaqat levels.

He said the ministry took the decision to force companies in the yellow Nitaqat level to expedite the Saudization process. "The ministry is determined to employ more Saudis in the private sector," he added.

Meanwhile, members of the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry are unanimous in their opinion that it will be extremely difficult for the ministry to enforce its decision, especially in the industrial and contracting sectors.

They warned that the decision will create a manpower deficiency and will adversely affect the Saudization process.

The members also warned against the security, social and economic implications the decision would have on the labor market. They said the Kingdom would become a source of technical and vocational manpower for other countries if the decision was imposed.

Board member Ahmed Al-Marbaie said the decision could not be implemented on the industrial and contracting companies because they depend mainly on expatriate manpower. "These companies are always looking for expatriate manpower with sufficient experience, which they cannot find among Saudis," he said.

Al-Marbaie said if the ministry was adamant on its decision, the Kingdom would lose its trained and qualified foreign manpower. "In this case, we will be sending the qualified foreign manpower to other countries on a gold platter," he said.

"It is not acceptable to lose our trained foreign manpower and the workers who were born in the Kingdom as a result of this decision," he added.

Ibrahim Batterji, deputy chairman of the chamber's industrial committee, said it is not simply possible for the private companies to train the foreign manpower only to lose them in four years.

He warned that as a result of the decision, people might leave the industrial and contracting sectors and would invest in the commercial sector or the stock market instead.

"Saudization needs more time until the national carders are ready to accept all sorts of jobs. We will not be able to solve the problem of unemployment among Saudis by such decisions," he said.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140814214633

Morocco helps expats leave Libya

Moroccans are keeping a close eye on the worsening security situation in Libya.
The Moroccan government rushed to reassure citizens about the welfare of the large expatriate community now living amidst the ongoing unrest and violence.
Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane on Sunday (August 10th) said that Morocco was taking action to help its 70,000 citizens in Libya.
King Mohammed VI gave instructions to support Moroccan nationals residing in Libya, he added.
A crisis management group was also launched August 1st at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation (MAEC) to monitor the situation of Moroccans in Libya.
The group, which comprises various ministerial departments, is responsible for co-ordinating with Morocco's diplomatic and consular services in Libya to set up voluntary repatriation arrangements, along with emergency intervention and assistance measures for Moroccan citizens.
Expats in Libya have been provided with free telephone numbers to call.
The first contingents of Moroccans arriving in Tunisia have already been able to take advantage of the measures introduced last week.
Royal Air Maroc ramped up flights to Tunis to repatriate Moroccans in Libya, an August 11th statement said.
"Royal Air Maroc, as a national carrier, is naturally concerned about the safety of its fellow nationals, and will work to help them in the best possible way," the statement noted.
Families with loved ones living in Libya are still worried.
Sara Zouhairi cannot wait to see her husband return home from Tripoli, where he has been working for five years.
"Mohamed is eager to return to Morocco due to the security situation. He's been reluctant for some time because Libya is where he earns his money. But he's finally resigned himself to returning home because it's a question of life or death," she told Magharebia.
"Given the control the militias now have over the ports and airports, it's hard to leave the country," she said in tears.
She explained that her husband and a great many other Moroccan nationals in Tripoli were hoping that neighbouring countries would intervene to restore security to Libya.
Politicians are also concerned about the situation in Libya.
The kingdom "has always pleaded for Libya's unity, sovereignty and territorial security to be honoured, and has called for the violence to stop", Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Delegate Mbarka Bouaida said last week in Washington.
During a meeting about the security situation in Libya between Maghreb foreign ministers and Anne Patterson, the American assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, Bouaida indicated that Morocco was following developments in Libya and its political and security crisis.
Neighbouring Maghreb, Arab, African and Mediterranean countries and the international community need to be involved in the meetings and discussions about the Libyan situation, as they are directly affected by the current situation in Libya and its repercussions, the government official added.
Bouaida also reiterated Morocco's commitment to helping restore security in Libya.
The Moroccan diplomat emphasised the importance of adopting "global, integrated and multidimensional" strategies that support security, economy, social, political and cultural facets.

http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2014/08/14/feature-03

The World's Priciest Cities

A New York human resources company surveys 211 cities around the world to find the most expensive place to get transferred to, and it turns out to be in northern Africa.

Thu, 08/14/2014 | BY Kent McDill    

Many Americans, including those in financial jobs, find themselves sent overseas to work. Wherever they end up, there is an adjustment period, and part of that adjustment is finding out just how much things cost in a foreign land in comparison to what they cost in the United States.
Mercer, a human resources company out of New York, surveyed expatriate workers to find out the most expensive cities in the world for non-natives to live, and the winners are not what one might expect.
Luanda, the capital of Angola, ranks No. 1 and N’djamena, the capital of Chad, ranks No. 2, according to the survey. The reasons, in most cases, relate to the fact that getting goods to those countries is expensive, and the expense is passed down to the consumer.
The survey looks at the cost of 200 everyday items that an expatriate worker would purchase, including store items like groceries as well as housing and entertainment.
The survey said the costs for north African nations are high because there is so much oil money there, and the expatriate workers usually live high on the hog, in comparison to the low-level workers who live in squalor.
For instance, a three-bedroom home in Luanda goes for $15,000 a month. The good news is that things like beer and cigarettes are actually cheaper in Africa than they are in the United States.
The purpose of the survey is to offer the information to multinationals and conglomerates that are looking for staffers who are willing to move and to compensate those people according to the prices they will pay for goods and services.
“Rankings in many regions were affected by recent world events, including economic and political upheaval, which resulted in currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and volatility in accommodation prices,’’ said Mercer’s Partner and Global Leader Ed Hannibal. “While multinationals continue to recognize the importance of having a global workforce, they must be able to monitor and balance the cost of their expatriate programs.”
Here is a closer look at the results of the 2014 Cost of Living Survey:
Following Luanda and N’djamena, the rest of the top 10 most expensive cities for expatriates are Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich (which is moving up the list), Geneva, Tokyo (which is moving down), Bern, Moscow and Shanghai.
Although there are no American cities on the top 10, New York ranks 16^th, and Mercer said many U.S. cities are moving up the list as the other cities drop down. Los Angeles is ranked 62^nd, San Francisco 74^th, Chicago 85^th, Honolulu 97^th and Miami is 98^th among 211 cities monitored.
Due to a devaluation of currency, South American cities dropped significantly on the list. Sao Paolo ranked as the costliest South American city and ranked 49^th overall.
The most expensive Canadian city was Vancouver, which finished 96^th in the overall rankings.
Among the most desired cities in Europe, Paris ranked 27^th, Milan 30^th, Rome 31^st and Vienna 32^nd.
The least expensive major city for expatriates, according to the survey, is Karachi, Pakistan. The least expensive American city on the list is Winston-Salem, ranked 182^nd.

http://millionairecorner.com/Content_Free/The-Worlds-Priciest-Cities.aspx

MoI urged to expedite procedures to deport ‘sick’ expats ‘100 MoH employees fail to respect their shift hours during Eid holidays’

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 14: The Inspection Committee tasked with keeping a tab on attendance of employees and the fingerprints attendance mechanism submitted a list of nearly 100 employees working at 22 hospitals and specialized centers of the Ministry of Health for investigation for failing to respect their shift hours during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, reports Al-Anba daily.
The Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr Khalid Al- Sehlawi has obliged all officials of the different medical sectors to provide him a list of names of the employees each with details of work hours and submit it to the Inspection Committee Team to find out who have respected their working hours and who have not.
Meanwhile, the General Health Administration of Ministry of Health has requested Ministry of Interior to expedite the procedures for deporting expatriates suffering from contagious diseases, reports Al-Nahar daily quoting informed sources. They said the center responsible for medically examining expatriate laborers provides Ministry of Interior with all necessary information about the expatriates who suffer from diseases such as Hepatitis, AIDS, etc.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140815214780

300,000 expats hit by 4-year iqama rule

JEDDAH — The Labor Ministry’s decision to reduce the stay of expatriates in companies and establishments falling within the yellow Nitaqat zone will affect about 300,000 foreigners, according to a senior official of the ministry. Director of the ministry’s information center Taysir Al-Mofarrej said as many as 295,308 expatriates will be affected by the decision. “These workers constitute about 3.6 percent of the total expatriates living in the Kingdom who are more than 8.2 million,” he said. The ministry had said the stay of the workers in yellow Nitaqat companies would be reduced to four years from the present six starting October 25 and will be further cut to two years from next April. – SG
The company spends few months to train their staff. Once the worker gets experienced and do the job perfectly they will send him back home and bring a new expat to train again. Do they really care about the employeers effort and investment to train those expats.
Even illegals when they come, the intentions are to stay for reasonably longer periods otherwise they would not take the risk. Similarly those expats who come here and got jobs for meager salaries, the intention is continuity for a longer period. At least to cover their cost to acquire a new job and then start saving and helping their families abroad. Since it takes at least 4 years to break even, then they have actually wasted their time and efforts. Short period contracts will carry high cost.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140815214780

Survey shows UAE to lead the way for expats in the Middle East, say Interdean

Leading overseas relocation specialist, Interdean, has backed the results of a survey that rated UAE cities as the best to live and work in the Arab World.

The Emirates state cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah took the first three positions in the ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov. Respondents claimed the UAE cities offered the most complete package, with the least bureaucracy, better job opportunities, optimum quality of life and competitive salaries.

In reaching its verdict, the poll asked participants to rate cities in the region according to economic, entrepreneurial, environmental and socio-cultural factors, labour rights, and every day and overall quality of life.

Each of the three cities performed consistently well across all the categories, with Abu Dhabi in particular achieving multiple first place positions. Such is the satisfaction of residents in the UAE that the majority said they would relocate to another city within the Emirates state before considering a move to another city in the region.

As a leading international shipping and removal services provider, Interdean has welcomed the findings and is aware of the UAE’s growing appeal, not only to native citizens but to those who have chosen to relocate there from overseas.

A spokesman for the company said: “We are not surprised that Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah have been rated the best cities to live and work in the Arab World. They have shown themselves to be progressive urban centres, offering residents ample opportunities both from a professional and personal perspective.

“It is not just the native citizens of the UAE who are content. It is fast becoming the destination of choice for expats seeking a new life overseas and we are sure the influx of people will continue due to the outstanding quality of life on offer there,” he added.

Thinking of Moving? Think Interdean

Interdean helps families, expats, backpackers, travellers and students moving overseas. Established in 1958, Interdean provides moving, storage, shipping air freight, excess baggage, visa and immigration, and full relocation services to worldwide destinations. Interdean is FIDI FAIM PLUS accredited and has over 123 offices worldwide.

We make it easy

http://www.sourcewire.com/news/84042/survey-shows-uae-to-lead-the-way-for-expats-in#.U_A9vXlwb4g

Expats ‘moving back from K before referendum’

THE PROSPECT of Scottish independence has not stopped people from the rest of the UK moving north as numbers more than doubled last year.

The economic revival is believed to be behind the surge, although it may also be down to some expats returning home to vote in the referendum.
The net rise in people coming from England, Wales and Northern Ireland reached almost 8,000 last year, up from 3,000 the year before.
But immigration from overseas has sunk to the lowest level in a decade following the economic decline of recent years.
Scotland’s overall net migration fell below 10,000 in 2012-13 and will have to more than double to reach the 24,000 First Minister Alex Salmond wants to achieve after independence.
Scotland’s population is continuing to rise and reached a record high of 5.33 million last year, official figures from the 
National Records for Scotland have revealed.
But the rate of growth is falling as the country’s birth rate continues to plunge. There were 56,014 babies born in Scotland, which is down 2,013 – the fifth year in a row that the numbers have dropped.
Professor Robert Wright, a demographics expert at Strathclyde University, suggested the economic recovery could be drawing people from the rest of the UK to move to Scotland.
“When an economy is in recession, migration grinds to a halt,” he said. “Now this is just an idea, but it could be a sign that the economy is improving, although that can’t be proven.”
A total of 47,685 moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK last year, an annual rise of 2,500. With just 39,823 Scots going the other way, it resulted in a net increase of 7,862. The number of overall migrants coming to Scotland fell to 75,885 last year, the lowest in more than a decade.
But the number of Scots going overseas has also dropped to 65,923. It leaves 9,962 in net migration. This falls well below the 24,000 Mr Salmond wants after independence to ensure the workforce is big enough to pay the taxes needed to fund the NHS and social services.
This is coupled with a falling birth rate in Scotland, which Prof Wright said was also down to the squeeze in family budgets.
He added: “Fertility is pro-cyclical. When the economic times are good, fertility goes up. When the economic times are bad, fertility goes down.”
The crucial group of 20- to 59-year-olds which will provide Scotland’s workforce is seeing “no, slow or negative” growth, according to the academic.
He said: “You want to try to keep that group growing and providing the public sector and private sector with the labour it needs. We need higher economic growth to pay for the ageing population. If we don’t have this growth, we don’t have a tax revenue and the standard living of older people will fall. That’s political suicide.”
The surge in the number of Polish people moving to Scotland in recent years is borne out in the statistics. There are now 55,000 Poles in Scotland, the highest of any immigrant group.
This is more than double the number of people from India and the Republic of Ireland, who each number around 23,000.
Edinburgh is set to bear the brunt of housing pressures in the future. The capital faces an expected 39 per cent rise in the number of households by 2037, while Aberdeen is set to grow by 35 per cent. By contrast, Inverclyde is facing a fall of 10 per cent in its household numbers.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/expats-moving-back-from-ruk-before-referendum-1-3510419

Expats sue over IRS reporting

The federal government insists new legislation that would essentially force banks to hand over information about Unites States citizens to the Internal Revenue Service via the Canada Revenue Agency is constitutionally valid.
Earlier this week, a lawsuit against the Attorney General of Canada was filed in Federal Court in Vancouver by two Ontario women with U.S. citizenship aiming to stop the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
U.S. citizens have to pay tax to the country even if they live abroad, and Canadians who have never even lived in the states have complained of being harassed for income tax.
Some people become “accidental Americans” based simply on having one parent from the U.S. even though they themselves have never lived there.
Patricia Moon of the Alliance for the Defence of Canadian Sovereignty said the new legislation is “outrageous” and wants it stopped.
“They basically just passed a law that allowed the CRA to break privacy laws that the banks were not allowed to break by revealing personal financial information,” Moon said. “There’s a charter issue because certain Canadian citizens with a U.S. connection will be treated differently than other Canadians based upon national origin.”
Moon said the legislation could impact up to one million Canadians and even more when you count younger Canadians with U.S. parents.
The Department of Finance argued the legislation is legal, but would not make further comment.
“The government is confident that the legislation in question (which implements the Intergovernmental Agreement between Canada and the United States for the Enhanced Exchange of Information under the Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty) is constitutionally valid. The government is prepared to defend the legislation in court.”

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2014/08/14/expats-sue-over-irs-reporting

Saudi Arabia seen losing expats over visa limitation

Saudi businesses are increasingly opposing a decision to limit expat working visas to four year for firms rated “yellow” under the kingdom’s nationalisation employment program.
The Labor Ministry recently announced the decision, which will become effective from October 25, in a bid to encourage companies in the lowest ranking to improve their employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector.
However, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has said the limit would be difficult to implement in the industrial, construction and service sectors, which depend on trained and experienced workers from abroad, Arab News reported.
JCCI member Ahmad Al Marbaie said the decision would create labour shortages and in the long-term would harm the nationalisation process.

Under the nationalisation program, called Nitaqat, businesses in Saudi Arabia are rated green, yellow or red according to their national-expat quota and are rewarded for being in the higher categories with benefits such as easier access to expat visas.
“There are sectors that cannot move to the green zone because they depend totally on skilled and specialised workers,” he said.
“Another problem is that the Saudi labour market recruits untrained workers who cannot operate modern machinery.”
He said it would be detrimental to factories that had to fire workers they had spent time and money training to replace them with locals who were “reluctant to do such jobs”.
“This will be our own loss since trained workers are hard to come by and are highly valued in other countries,” Al Marbaie said.

“Such a decision will affect our productivity, profitability and performance. We need these workers to stay in the kingdom for at least 10 years.”

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-arabia-seen-losing-expats-over-visa-limitation-561317.html

Burney thanks govt for rescuing Pak expats in Libya

KARACHI: Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International and former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney has paid gratitude and appreciated the concerns and immediate response from President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli, Libya for honouring and responding the SOS call of the Trust and for sending special rescue flight to Libya, with immediate effect, to fetch the miserable Pakistanis stuck there.

In a press release on Wednesday Ansar Burney said that according to his sources, the first special rescue flight had already reached Libya and was likely to return Pakistan soon carrying around 350 Pakistanis trapped in the ongoing civil war in Libya.

Ansar Burney said that due to worst condition of law and order in Libya, especially Tripoli and Ben Ghazi, the Ansar Burney Trust was also striving hard for the rescue and safe repatriation of 175 Pakistani detainees in Libya.

He said that as per their sources in Libya, some 2,000 to 3,000 Pakistanis had already left for Pakistan and the government was making arrangement for evacuation and safe return of the remaining 5,000 to 6,000 Pakistanis stuck in Libya.

Burney said that in case of any problem, the relatives of Pakistanis in Libya could contact Director of the Ansar Burney Trust, Shagufta Burney Advocate at Ansar Burney Trust International, 6 - Hassan Manzil, Arambagh Road, Karachi. Phone (021) 32623382 Mobile: 0300 8243460 or by email:contact@ansarburney.org

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-267110-Burney-thanks-govt-for-rescuing-Pak-expats-in-Libya

Christian expats lead Seoul outreach ministries

SEOUL, South Korea—The Starbucks near Seoul National University was like the iced drinks the young customers were shaking and sipping—cool, mixed, and tightly packed with bodies tumbling over one another as they bucked for the rare open seat. 

At a corner table for two, two Korean-Americans and a Canadian woman bowed their heads in prayer. They conversed in English, which attracted some cursory glances, but perhaps it was also their outfits and mannerisms that stood out. 

Starbucks isn’t the only rapid foreign expansion in Seoul, which now has more Starbucks stores than any city in the world. The number of expats living in Seoul has also exploded—and continues to grow. According to a 2012 city survey, more than 280,000 foreigners live legally in Seoul, a hike from 61,920 in 2000. Most are migrant workers, but some are bilingual Korean-American working professionals, college graduates with wanderlust tutoring English part-time, or Koreans who were adopted as children and have come back. 

In a nation that prides itself as one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world, the seep of multiculturalism stirs alarm and hot discussions among native Koreans who worry about cultural and ethnic preservation, diseases, and crime. The debates aren’t that different from typical American anxieties about immigrants, but with greater emphasis on ethnic purity. Still, more and more Koreans, particularly the younger generation, are welcoming multiculturalism and embracing expats. 

The South Korean government has played a crucial role in pushing smoother integration for foreigners since 2006. On a quieter note, so has the expat church community, a small but dynamic group whose outsider perspectives open ways to minister in the many blind spots in Korean society. As the international community burgeoned, so has the need for and roles of international ministries. The three expats praying at Starbucks late on a Sunday afternoon offer a great example. 

Jee Lee, a 34-year-old from northern Virginia, is a full-time volunteer at Jerusalem Ministry (JM), a Christian NGO that trains and equips international volunteers to serve children’s homes in Seoul. With her were two fresh volunteers: Young-rae Kim, 23, from Los Angeles, and Emily Boivin, 35, from Montreal. As Lee led the two-hour training session, in which she described Korean prejudices against orphans and stressed long-term commitment, the two orientation students took copious notes. 

Boivin, who moved to Seoul after the Korean bug “bit” her, told me she was drawn to JM after listening to sermons about orphans at New Philadelphia Church, the multi-site EM (English-speaking Ministry) branch of a Korean Presbyterian church. As an adoptee, she “knew the orphan spirit” and felt “tugging in the heart” to serve the abandoned children of a country she has come to love. Meanwhile, Kim is on a one-year stint in Seoul to teach English—but considers lengthening his stay to serve its community.

JM, founded in 2006 by John-Michael Becker, a gangly 32-year-old Virginia Tech graduate, is one of many Christian organizations founded by expats in South Korea. I joined Becker and his mostly expat team at his apartment/office for their weekly prayer meeting for North Korea. 

Becker has lived in Seoul for nine years, during which he married a Korean woman, learned conversational Korean, and now eats spicy, pungent Korean food without losing weight. Within five months of working full-time at a Christian children’s home, Becker noticed a pressing issue: Commitment from orphanage volunteers was weak, especially among Western volunteers who expected warm hugs and Orphan Annie smiles, and then disappeared when things got too difficult or a new job popped up. Such broken commitments only deepen the children’s spirit of rejection and distrust. 

When Becker first initiated JM, the orphanage staff, tired of foreign irresponsibility, refused to accept any expat volunteers despite the dire need for English tutors. Since then, JM has formed partnerships with nine children’s homes and has trained and sent about 100 expat volunteers who commit to serve a minimum of 6 to 12 months. Becker has broadened his ministry to include soccer and arts and crafts camps, and a college scholarship and mentorship program for orphans. Becker said he’s seen many foreigners recommit to a 10-year stay in Korea because “they recognize that God is doing something here.” 

Even though South Korea sends out many missionaries, Becker calls it “ironic” that not as much outreach goes to its own people—leaving many Christian expats to fill in the blind spots created by cultural barriers and social challenges. Orphans—socially typecast as undisciplined troublemakers and rarely adopted because of deep cultural emphasis on bloodline—are just one unreached pocket in South Korean society. Other typically overlooked issues include sex-trafficking, prostitution, North Korean refugees, the homeless, single mothers, and abortion. 

http://www.worldmag.com/2014/08/christian_expats_lead_seoul_outreach_ministries

Expats Flee Iraq’s Oil Boomtown as Islamic State Attacks

By Anna Hirtenstein August 13, 2014
     
Expats Flee Iraq’s Oil Boomtown

A refinery stands 20 kilometres east of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The autonomous region, largely free from the violence that’s plagued the rest of the country, has some of largest untapped oil fields in the world. Photographer: Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images
Marc Kolber, a native of Long Island, has spent more than three years overseeing the construction of offices for foreign oil companies in Iraqi Kurdistan. Now he’s joining an exodus of expatriates from the capital, Erbil.

“The expat community in Erbil was thriving, it was a very welcoming and inclusive society,” Kolber said in a telephone interview as his employer made arrangements to evacuate staff. “But now about 80 percent of expats have left.”

The Kurdistan region of Iraq has attracted hundreds of foreigners in the past five years, enticed by a mixture of oil, security and growing prosperity. The autonomous region, largely free from the violence that’s plagued the rest of the country, has some of largest untapped oil fields in the world.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-08-13/expats-flee-iraq-s-oil-boomtown-as-islamic-state-attacks

British expats may be forced to come back due to tax raid, expert says

Expats who rent out their houses in Britain face paying tax on all their UK income under Chancellor George Osborne tax raid proposal.

Hundreds of thousands of expats could see their personal allowance at risk if the Chancellor presses ahead with plans to force non-residents to pay tax, which could make Britons return from retirements abroad.

Jackie Hall, a tax partner at accountants Baker Tilly, toldDigital Look on Tuesday the proposal could be the turning point for people to come back to the UK.

However, when the consultation goes ahead the premises will change "considerably".

Retirees may also be affected by the proposal, as it could result in a cut in a couple's income of up to £4,000 year.

Missionaries and diplomats may also see their personal allowance affected if the decision is taken.

Hall explained that: "Pensioners who've gone abroad are going to suffer the biggest impact. If you have already jumped ship and are reasonably comfortable, this could turn the tide against you. Those people may begin to struggle because they haven't got the income in retirement that they thought they had."

Industry sources estimate the tax raid could raise an extra £400m a year for the exchequer.