Far right in Belgium

How long do you have to live in a place before you stop being an immigrant?

It would appear that the hooligans who disrupted the vigil might have been English. I don't know for sure - just been reading some football fan sites. I think some of them were arrested, so maybe more details will emerge. It just seems an odd thing for Belgians to do, when the whole country is in grief.

Re how long until you are not an immigrant:I think it is until at least 2nd generation.. but not certain if there is a government definition.

Yes I agree, 2nd generation, my grandfather was an immigrant who married my English grandmother, my father and his siblings were able to straddle two cultures and enjoy the best of both. If people aren't assimilated by 2nd generation I don't think that bodes well for them. Of course it does help if the incomer marries a British citizen then the onus is on them to assimilate. It was harder to stay rooted in the parent culture before the internet and foreign travel was relatively unaffordable

Sorry daphniedill, I thought I had posted a link. I will have a look again for it tomorrow.

I thought an immigrant was always an immigrant. Not children born in the new country though.

Jane10. For me there is a large difference between immigrants who try to integrate and those who dont for whatever reason. If they try to integrate, people get a chance to properly know them. Else they remain strangers.

So agree! Many believe however that if they come from some countries it's ok, because they call themselves 'expats' and not immigrants!

We had a laugh this afternoon in my hospital room. One visitor was a South African Brit, 1 was a Brit from Yorkshire, 2 from the Domenican Republic and then the tea ladies arrived, 1 Portuguese and 1 Polish (the ones this morning were 1 Turkish Kurd and 1 Polish- who just came back from visiting her family in the Colchester area).

Oh dear, here we go again - the anti-Brit postings...

oh and me of course, part French Huguenot and Swiss, naturalised Brit.

Did I mention Brits in my post Ana ??? Where? Wondering why you are somehow jumping to conclusions?

Do you know any Brit who live abroad and only keep Anglo-Saxon company, speak English and practically no local language, go to British Churches and have kids at British/Amercian schools, etc, etc- and constantly complain about leaving 'back home' because of all those foreigners that ......? Surely not.

No I don't, but apparently you do as you're always going on about them!

Of course it helps integration if the host country and citizens are welcoming. It is always a two way process. Fear and anxiety make people retreat and stick with who/what they know.

SA/NZ were populated by people like us in the past. They could be seen as coming 'home' although most only seem to be here for a short time with a clear intention of going back to Oz and NZ.
Because they cannot get visas to stay here, unless they have a British passport because one of their parents was British.

people like us.
Although most of Australia is not populated by 'people like us' if by that is meant British - at least not the part I visit regularly.

Do you know any Brit who live abroad and only keep Anglo-Saxon company, speak English and practically no local language, go to British Churches and have kids at British/Amercian schools, etc, etc- and constantly complain about leaving 'back home'
No, I don't - does anyone else? (although cousin's DH is still struggling with the language, but he does try hard )

go to British Churches although that could be true if they are Protestant and the only alternative is Roman Catholic I suppose

It is a two way process Penstemmon. But I would think that there are people that are friendly and welcoming in all areas of Britain are there not?

Also I do have to say that if a person arrives in a new country out of their choice, they should make a big effort to integrate.

That is what two way process means! Both sides working hard for success! But when you are in a minority,feeling vulnerable and out of your comfort zone it can be hard to integrate. Where do you start?

hobbies, churches, local shopkeepers, hairdressers, schoolgate, bus stops, have a dog and talk to other dog walkers, etc off the top of my head.

volunteer, join clubs, invite people for a Starbucks, invite people round for a meal,etc

By learning the language, and then you can do all the things suggested by obione

Sounds easy! Reality may be very different.

Learning a new language is very hard. But smiles, nods and even small attempts at conversation go a long way.

People are comfortable within their own circle, the British in the UK are no different.

learning a language is hard- but if you choose to go and live abroad, the first and most essential form of respect (NOT talking about grammatical accuracy here).

There are communities of Swiss, Dutch and Germans, and yes, Britis - all over Spain, the Canary Islands, Tuscany, Crete, Cyprus, etc, etc, etc- who do not speak the local language at all after 10+ years- and apart from their cleaner, gardener and waiter- have practically no contact with the local population. English schools for kids, and yes, Anglican Churches with services in English only, all over- even in the countries where Protestant Churches are the norm. Expats often (not always, I know so many here and in France who are well integrated and speak the language wel enough for effective communication and better)- consider themselves far superior to 'immigrants' and a totally different 'breed'. The sheer arrogance of some in breathtaking, truly. And yet, their actions and behaviour is EXACTLY what they reproach from 'immigrants' back home. Oh the irony.

My sis-in-law is Swiss. She and my DB live in Sussex but also have a house in France. They often spend holidays in Switzerland in the village where she grew up.

I have never ever heard her talk in disparaging terms about ex-pats, English or otherwise, neither does she boast about her travel experiences or knowledge of other languages/cultures etc.

You make a cottage industry out of it, granjura

English schools for kids, and yes, Anglican Churches with services in English only, all over- even in the countries where Protestant Churches are the norm
I am puzzled as to why Swiss, Dutch and Germans would send their children to English schools and attend Anglican churches with services in English only.
Perhaps it's me, I am easily

The only people I know who have homes in France have tried really hard to learn the language and communicate with their neighbours and make friends.

Ah well, vidimo se kasnije!