Expat England News

Latest 10 news items tagged England

22 May at 6 PM 2013

French government expat votes promise delayed for a year

A promise to give migrants from outside the UK a chance to vote in French regional and local elections made during President Hollande’s presidential campaign has been relegated to late in 2014. The reform was to be pushed through if François Hollande won the parliamentary election, and would have brought France in line with the majority of other EU member states. Today it was announced that the proposal will not be brought before the French parliament until after 2014’s municipal elections. According to the president’s...
22 May at 6 PM 2013

Brit expats at risk as Son of FATCA hits British Overseas Territories

The news that the British Overseas Territories have now agreed to greater transparency may well scare those who use the havens for tax evasion, but it’s also a danger for those with legitimate accounts. Following the Cayman Islands, which agreed to disclosure last month, are Bermuda, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Montserrat. The required information will include account balances, account numbers, account-holders’ names, addresses, dates of birth, account balances and details of payments...
21 May at 6 PM 2013

New study reinforces European racial stereotypes

Would-be expats considering which European country is the most suitable for their retirement or holiday homes may find a recent survey very revealing. The study was carried out by Pew Research Centre in Washington, and revealed that many traditional racial stereotypes still hold true in the 21st century. For example, the German people are seen as trustworthy, especially by the Spanish and the French. The results of the survey, carried out across Europe, may seem a little confusing, as many nationals in the countries surveyed agreed...
20 May at 6 PM 2013

Oz ban on gay marriage impacts skilled worker immigration

The Australian ban on the recognition of gay marriage or legal partnerships may be affecting skilled worker immigration at a time when the country is begging for migrants with specific qualifications and experience. Australia’s long-standing discrimination against homosexual couples is traditional but, with an increasing number of countries including its near neighbour New Zealand now recognising same-sex expat couples, the ban seems to be having a negative effect on much-needed skilled immigration. Same-sex couples are choosing...
17 May at 6 PM 2013

Expat mums unfairly penalised by UK expat pension crackdown

The recently announced change in UK pension law disallowing married women’s pensions is hitting hard on stay-at-home expat mums. Married women who have lived overseas with their husbands and never worked will be hit hard by the proposed change in pension law disallowing them from claiming a spousal pension. The change in the law is being brought in to save paying expat spousal pensions to foreign wives who have never worked or lived in the UK but is expected to hit hard on legitimate claimants. The spousal benefit, known as the...
17 May at 6 PM 2013

Expats in France face confusion over tax on overseas income

As French lawmakers fight over the introduction of new tax laws affecting expats who have overseas investments or pensions, potentially affected expats in the country are facing financial confusion. The issue concerns the double tax ruling between France and Britain, with taxing UK expats on their pension and investment earnings in the UK possibly illegal unless the expat has failed to already pay tax on money earned offshore. French lawmakers are analysing the double tax treaties between France, the UK and other countries but have so...
16 May at 6 PM 2013

UK Fraud Squad warns expats abroad over money laundering scam

Britain’s scam-buster agency is publicly warning expats living abroad to watch out for a money-transfer scam by organised crime gangs. Action Fraud, an arm of the National Fraud Authority and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, warns that many expats are being approached via phone calls, emails or letter to participate in an innocent-seeming, straightforward money-making scheme. Advertisements in expat newspapers and online are also being used to trap the unwary. The process is deceptively simple, with the expat receiving...
16 May at 6 PM 2013

World survey shows map of least and most racially tolerant countries

The World Value Survey’s map of every world country’s level of racial tolerance was used by Swedish researchers to determine the relationship between racism and economic freedom. The report by Swedish economists was prompted by one of many questions asked in the original survey of respondents in 80 world countries. The question was simple, with people asked to identify the types of people they’d dislike as neighbours. One check-listed answer was people of another race’, which led the economists to reason that countries in...
13 May at 6 PM 2013

European expats in Malta present petition against dual pricing

A group of European immigrants living in Malta have presented a petition to the Maltese Prime Minister protesting against dual pricing of utilities and bus fares. For decades, the island of Malta has been a favourite destination for UK and other European expats looking for a peaceful life, better weather and Western amenities. Dual pricing will come as a surprise to would-be migrants, but is now causing a great deal of resentment amongst expat islanders. The petition, signed by 1,120 foreign residents, claims that foreigners must...
13 May at 6 PM 2013

Brit expats in Spain should think again before fleeing

For many British expats living in Spain, the newly-introduced financial reporting requirements have been the last straw, but taking expert advice may be the answer. According to the Foreign Office, full- and part-time expats in Spain number around 800,000, with permanent resident numbers set between 250,000 and 400,000. Accountancy firms estimate that a high number are seriously considering leaving the country following the introduction of the new tax regime. The law states that any foreigner living in Spain for more than six...