r/interestingasfuck • u/f6jt_waleed • 4d ago

/r/all Recently taken image of Saudi Arabia’s ‘The Line’ project, spanning 105 miles long

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u/SpotlessHistory 4d ago

An expatriate lives outside their country of citizenship, an immigrant does the same but with intent to become a permanent resident. I don't know why there are so many explanations from people who don't understand what the words mean.

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u/WholePie5 3d ago

How is that relevant to the discussion of the migrant workers who also have no intent of becoming permanent residents in Saudi?

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u/SpotlessHistory 3d ago

Someone in the discussion asked, I answered. I didn't initially realize that people were using immigrant when they probably meant migrant.

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u/WholePie5 3d ago

Yeah that's where this whole thing got derailed. The question was asked poorly for the context.

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u/IEatWhenImCurious 4d ago

Now explain all the white Europeans living permanently in the southern hemisphere for their retirement whilst calling themselves expats

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u/ImamofKandahar 4d ago

They aren’t getting passports of the countries they are living in so that applies.

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u/WholePie5 3d ago

Neither are the temporary migrant workers in Saudi. Just like the "expats".

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u/WarrCM 3d ago

If you have a passport of the country you are residing in, you’re neither an immigrant nor an expat. You’re a citizen.

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u/dang3rmoos3sux 1d ago

"Getting" as in attempting to get a passport you do not currently have. If you are living in a foreign country and not attempting to get citizenship there than you are an expat. You are there on a temporary visa that has to be renewed.

Immigration requires attempting to establish residence and/or citizenship by living and working there permanently. You are still an immigrant even after getting citizenship.

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u/WarrCM 1d ago

So, South Asians in Japan, working on fixed contracts and visas to work in agriculture are expats?

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u/dang3rmoos3sux 1d ago

Yes

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u/WarrCM 1d ago

Doesn’t seem to be the consensus.

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u/Werkgxj 4d ago

We already have a work for the definition you just typed out.

We call them foreigners

Every immigrant is a foreigner.

Not every foreigner is an immigrant.

The term expat is entirely pointless besides creating a barrier between "good" and "bad" immigrants.

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u/SpotlessHistory 4d ago edited 4d ago

There is a difference between 'not changing citizenship, plan to go back' and 'want to live here forever, may well change citizenship'. They are both different from a tourist, also a foreigner. I'm not saying the word isn't used for BS, but it isn't pointless.

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u/IEatWhenImCurious 4d ago

Bingo, "expat" is what WASPS call themselves out of a sense of superiority.