"Expatriate", "immigrant", "migrant". These words are intriguing for foreigners who live abroad for various reasons: crises – migratory, economic, political – adding more tensions. How do we define an expat and an immigrant? What about those who have moved abroad indefinitely? And why is this topic debated with such passion?
Expatriate, immigrant: same definition?
The determined assertions of some suggest that there is a considerable gap between expatriates from immigrants. Others, on the contrary, define themselves as immigrants: “When you spend ten years in a country, you are no longer an expat. But even a year is the same. In fact, as soon as you stay in the same country, you have immigrated; you're an immigrant, that's all," says Lana, a French expat who has lived in Tokyo for ten years. "The term expatriate just refers to a classy immigrant, in people's minds," adds his Japanese friend Shoto, who stayed in France for three years before returning to Japan. “Expats have a good image, while immigrants are singled out. I never felt like an expat in France, and people never assimilated me to an expat. The problem is prejudice and perception. Some believe that expats are necessarily rich white people and that the rest are poor immigrants".
What is an expat? According to dictionary definitions, an expat is a person who decides to leave their country. On the other hand, immigrants go to live in a country different from their own. In short, an immigrant has left his/her home country to live in another country. Migrants, on the other hand, move from one country to another. The terms and their definitions are quite similar. On a more restricted note, according to law, an expatriate is someone sent by his company to a foreign country for a fixed period. In that sense, many self-proclaimed expats wouldn't be. Are they immigrants (or immigrants)? Yes, they are, according to the definitions. Does it change being called "expatriate" or "immigrant/immigrant"? Yes, according to popular opinion.
In reality, there are hardly a few differences between these terms. Expatriation insists on the notion of departure from your country. Immigration supports the idea of coming to live in a country other than your own. Migration is the movement from one place to another. But immigration raises global turmoil. An overview of state migration policies shows the role of two fundamental elements: economic immigration and family reunification. Countries refer to economic immigration due to skilled labour shortages. However, people tend to believe that expatriates are masters of their destiny, incidentally wealthy and skilled. Meanwhile, immigrants and migrants would be constant travellers carrying their misery. The truth is that it's all about connotation and perception. But the positive image for expatriates and the negative image for immigrants can have considerable consequences pertaining to their identity and belonging to groups.
The weight of history and prejudice
During colonisation, many Britons who went to live in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Hong Kong or India gathered in "expatriate communities". This term was not chosen at random. Expatriation means exile. Formed by the Latin prefix "ex" (outside), the expatriate is one who lives away from his homeland. He leads an expatriate life, surrounded by his fellow expatriates. Later, this definition was broadened to include anyone who voluntarily left their country. But history remains, and, in a certain collective unconscious, the term expatriates still refers to White Westerners. In 2015, Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, entrepreneur, editor-in-chief of the SiliconAfrica.com website and fervent defender of Africanism, wrote a column in The Guardian newspaper. In his opinion, “Highly qualified African professionals who go to work in Europe are not considered expats. They are immigrants. Conversely, any white Westerner in Africa would be perceived as an expatriate, regardless of what they actually do". He hopes for a change in all mentalities all around the world.
The legal definition goes back to the 20th century, with the first expatriate contracts involving mostly white people. But for some researchers, the term "expatriates" would refer more to a social class. In practice, the term seems to be attributed more to white populations and positively. Sara, who is originally from Togo and currently lives in Kenya to follow a Master in Sustainable Development, says: “Nobody here considers me an expat. I prefer to say that I am a student and an immigrant. Expatriates are people sent by their company. They're not going to stay here all their lives. The rest are immigrants, whether they work or not. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think for some, it's traumatic as if they were being reduced. I find it insulting to all immigrants and the world in general. Being an immigrant does not mean belonging to a sub-human or having a particular skin colour. The same applies to expatriates".
Who are today's immigrants and expatriates?
Today, does the term expat still relate to the original definition?" Lucas, a French expat in Portugal since January 2020, says no. "We've had enough of this word. Indeed, you can still find some in "expat clubs". But in my opinion, "expat" and "immigrant" are the same. But clearly, the term "immigrant" is frowned upon. People cling to the word "expat" as if it contained gold bars. They don't accept reality. We're immigrants, so what?" Others, like Lana, assimilate expatriates to "great travellers". Far from the old-fashioned image of the businessman rushing to catch a flight, but close to adventurers in transit, spending a few months or years in one country before moving to another. Unlike immigrants, this foreigner does not settle permanently in a country. “Isn't this a positive image? However, the media never shows immigration from that angle, and politicians often support this image. They only point out "crisis" and "problems". No one makes an effort to know how we really feel. Some people are suffering from an identity crisis. For example, the rise of the far-right in Europe is scary. For others, it's just the fear of immigration and all that it entails", she says. A Brit expat who has been in Italy for 20 years prefers to define himself as an "expatriate" or a "resident". “I could be Black, Asian or North African. I would still be an expatriate. I don't think there's anything discriminatory in my remarks", he says.
Should be blame it on the media and on politics? Their complicity, even unconsciously, is undeniable. And you often get to see the explosive effects during electoral campaigns, whether it's in the USA or in France. Throughout history, immigration has been, for certain populations, a synonym for "poverty and suffering". François Héran, a sociologist and specialist in migration issues, believes that the world must recognise the "success" of immigration. However, he is more critical of the use of the notion of “expatriate" as a chic variant of the term emigrant".
As you might have realised, people moving abroad have different profiles. While some are comfortable with being defined as immigrants, some totally reject this perception. Some prefer to be called expatriates. Ideally, it would be best to end these categorisations, but is that even possible? Today's expatriate is no longer tied to this idea of recreating a patriotic microcosm abroad. From the outset, the aim is to settle permanently in another country, whether now or later, which would make them immigrants.
