Expat vs Immigrant: The Power of Passport Privilege
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Sometimes travel isn’t just a short-term fix; it can lead you far and wide for months or years. Last year, I found myself in Mexico for several months, and at some point, I started to feel less like an outsider. I was learning Spanish, had made good friends, and had my local spots, which I would frequent.
However comfortable I was getting, I had to remind myself of the temporary nature of my trip and how I was fulfilling a lifelong dream rather than moving permanently. The experience of feeling almost ‘at home’ got me thinking about the differences between being an immigrant, an expat, and a traveller.
When I've moved to other countries, be it Turkey or Australia, I considered myself an immigrant, a temporary legal resident. In Mexico, I felt privileged to be a long-term traveller. Yes, I leased a room, lived with Mexican flatmates and learned the language, but I understand the unique privilege of being able to insert myself into a new city and then pick up and leave.
I have never identified as an expat because I have witnessed how certain expat communities live in bubbles, in gated compounds, and don’t try to immerse themselves in the local environment. It’s a term that’s loaded with Western privilege and the ability to move abroad easily and without the sociopolitical consequences that countless immigrants face.
‘Facts’ Based on Stereotypes
For argument's sake, let's draw up some comparisons and stereotypes.
What are some stereotypes of immigrants?
There's the common one: immigrants won't assimilate and will stay within their communities.
That they don't want to learn the local language or adhere to cultural norms.
They're don’t work and want to claim benefits.
I could go on...
But overall, the picture that is painted in much of the West is that immigrants take more than they give and don't want to fit in.
Now, what is an expat, or rather, what are the assumptions?
They are all rich and bring money into the local economy.
They pay their taxes.
They are welcomed as high-earning, upwardly mobile individuals.
The Reality Is Different
The reality is that in various countries, immigrants must pass citizenship tests and meet language requirements, and many even move abroad to study at higher education institutions. A Harvard study showed that immigrants committed fewer crimes than native-born citizens and worked more, while still remaining poorer. Such studies really contradict the dominant, divisive narrative about immigrants.
Many also flee persecution and want to integrate into their new home. And not all expats are rich or contribute to local economies, as some are retired with relatively small pensions, while others may not pay tax in their new country of residence.
But what's the biggest difference when people from the West move to economically developing countries, be it Thailand or Colombia, for work or retirement? They suddenly become expats. But people who move from the Global South to the North are immigrants, even if both are moving for a better quality of life. There’s further irony in declaring people ‘illegal’ while occupying colonised lands such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The reality is that immigration is complicated and tied to ideas of citizenship, rights and nationality, but the question is why some people can access upward mobility through immigration while others are excluded.
Expat vs Immigrant: The Hypocrisy
Race, passport, nationality, and religion all play a part.
In reality, many expats don't assimilate, learn the local language, or even pay taxes locally, but there's an implied status. One of prestige and authority.
This prestige isn't carried forward for immigrants from the Global South, which is why they're not referred to as expats.
The title immigrant has been loaded with negative connotations fueled by the media and us vs them politics.
While expats with strong passports and privileges can move to destinations like Bali, Vietnam, South Africa, and countless other hotspots, they are admired for ‘relocating.’
The power dynamics have become obvious. Some are accepted and wanted, while others are less so. The migration of some is applauded, while the migration of others is propagandised.
And that's the true difference of being an expat vs an immigrant. That one can move freely wherever they like without facing public wrath, while the other is seen as a burden on society, regardless of whether they both move abroad for the same reasons or have the same level of education or equally contribute to society. In many cases, expats are elevated above local people, retreating to enclaves and gated communities where they form alternative communities with other foreigners–a trait of colonialism.
Legacies of Colonialism
During colonial times, colonisers could move freely to the colonies and would be elevated above local people, essentially ruling them. This wasn’t about immigrating and assimilating, nor an equal exchange. Rather, it was a relationship of extraction and exploitation that created tiered societies.
The ruler and the ruled.
This dynamic was loaded with racism and theories that placed Europeans above everyone else, which is why legacies of this power dynamic still exist today in the shape of being an expat.
What About Digital Nomads?
With the rise of digital nomads, a new form of expat has risen. Digital nomad visas are becoming increasingly common, allowing people who work remotely to live in foreign countries. This phenomenon has led to a boom in long-term travellers in cities such as Lisbon and Medellín, with gentrification becoming increasingly common as housing prices and the cost of living have risen.
There’s also a certain irony in digital nomads calling themselves ‘eutreprenuers’ for various online bitcoin/coaching/yoga businesses, while immigrants who open physical businesses such as bodegas, newsagents, or restaurants, and contribute to the local economy, are still criticized. Both can be considered economic migrants, but only one is.
Strong passports and easy visa or visa-free entry make this lifestyle possible. It's something that countless immigrants can't enjoy, even if they could find remote work; many passports limit such easy global movement. So again, they have to go through expensive visa applications, countless job interviews, and numerous other hurdles to obtain this lifestyle.
It’s important to recognise such privileges for those of us who do have a strong passport. I know mine has given me the opportunity to visit and live in some incredible places without lengthy paperwork or state scrutiny.
However, as with everything in life, there are nuances.
Not all expats are solely from Western countries, and not all digital nomads are white either. But the same goes for immigrants; they come from all over the world, from different backgrounds, and they are not a homogeneous group as the media would have us believe.
That's why when I move abroad, I consider myself an immigrant. Someone who is humble at the opportunities my passport allows me, after all, my grandparents were immigrants, and their story was very different from mine. It was not one of privilege or mobility, like many immigrants who cross oceans and seas to provide for their families.
That’s why it’s worth reflecting on why such people are demonised, while those from the West moving to Bali, Thailand, and other places in the Global South are glamorised and respected.
Millions of us move abroad each year in search of a better life, because in the end, we are much more similar in our dreams, hopes, and aspirations than the media or politicians would have us believe.
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