Tom Burroughes
Group Editor
31 October 2013Half of the most popular destinations for expatriate citizens living abroad are in Asia when ranked for quality of life, ease of setting up and integrating with local society, according to an HSBC survey.
Thailand ranks first, with China , Singapore , India and Taiwan making up third, sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively, according to the sixth HSBC Expat Explorer report covering 7,000 expats from almost 100 nations.
The other five nations in this ranking are Bahrain , Cayman Islands, Australia , Spain and Brazil , the HSBC report showed.
Other parts of the HSBC research shed light on where expats value the most desirable economies in which to work and the most attractive destinations in which to educate children – vital issues when making the big decision to move abroad. The data may be valuable for wealth managers seeking to calculate desirable places to establish booking centres for new business, for example.
The survey revealed that expats across Asia were more likely to enjoy a better social life. More than a third (35 per cent) of expats based in the region say they agree they have a more active social life since relocating, compared with the global average of only 26 per cent, it said.
Switzerland, China and Qatar , meanwhile, rank highly on the “expat economics” test, which ranks factors such as earning potential, disposable income and satisfactions with economic outlook. Expats in these destinations are more likely to notice an improvement in their financial status upon moving as well as being satisfied with the present state of the economy in their host country, the report said.
Others on the top-ten for “expat economics” are Thailand , Cayman Islands, Indonesia , Germany , Oman , Singapore and Turkey .
For expat parents, European destinations have been ranked as attractive locations to bring up children abroad. Four European countries rank within the top 10 places for the Expat Explorer Raising Children Abroad league table, including Germany (1st), France (3rd), Belgium (6th) and Spain (9th). Germany , France and Spain in particular, offer expat parents a desirable mix of cost-efficient and high quality childcare.
The top three professions for expats are education, banking, insurance and financial services, construction, manufacturing and utilities.
Tag: Switzerland
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Expats Love Turkey, Asia, and Switzerland – HSBC Survey
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Armenian Genocide Deniers on Trial in Switzerland : Three Turkish nationals have gone on trial for Zurich for denying the Armenian genocide
ZURICH, Switzerland (Azat Or)–Three Turkish nationals have gone on trial for Zurich for denying the Armenian genocide. The three made the comments during a public demonstration in Winterthur in June last year and repeated them Tuesday in the courtroom.
They say they are sorry for the Armenians who died but argue that Turkey did not commit genocide, saying this is an “international lie.”
The prosecutor has asked for the accused to be fined up to 12,000 Swiss franks each. The defendants’ lawyer says his clients should go free because people can only be punished for racially motivated statements denying genocide. He claims his clients made the comments out of patriotism.
One of the accused, Ali Mercan, is the number-two person in the Turkish Labor Party and represents the party in Europe. The other two are the chairmen of Zurich and Bern chapters of the Ataturk Organization, which claims to promote Kemal Ataturk’s ideals around the world. The organization has a large base in England and Germany and recently established the Swiss chapters. It is headquartered in Ankara and its chairman was recently arrested in Turkey in connection with the wave of arrests of ultranationalists in Tukey.
Chairman of the Switzerland-Armenia Friendship Society Sarkis Shahinian reported that a large number of Turks had flooded the courtroom during Tuesday’s hearing. Three representatives of the Armenian community were also present, as were a large number of media organizations.
Shahinian added that the judge was not quick to rule on the matter and announced that he would issue a written verdict in coming days after reviewing relevant documents. Shahinian added that the delay could only mean that officials were trying to buy more time.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met Saturday in Bern with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey. Relations between the two countries have been strained since Switzerland recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2003.
Last June, Turkish Labor Party leader Dogu Perincek was also charged by Switzerland for denying the Armenian Genocide and in 2004 the notorious Turkish historian Yusef Halacoglu was also charged with the same crime by Switzerland.