Pot, Kettle, Black…

Television shows such as Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun promised adventure, swimming pools and the good life. A collapsing pound and the credit crunch have brought a harsher reality: homesickness, financial hardship and something those who call themselves "expats" rarely take into account, that they are immigrants – often with all the problems of not understanding the language or the rules. Interestingly, a surprising number of them list immigration as one of the things they dislike about Britain. Few, indeed, come from Britain’s own ethnic minorities.

I find it difficult to raise much sympathy with the plight of such as these. As one commenter puts it:

Am I supposed to feel sorry for British expats in Spain? They invade by the hundreds of thousands, not making a single effort to learn the language or the culture. They turn their villages into Little Croydons and Little Sheffields. And – we learn – one of the things they dont like in Britain is immigration??? Seriously…

Indeed, pot, kettle, black… At least I’ve made an effort to learn Dutch, and become a Dutch citizen in my adopted country…