French expatriates abroad are often talked about, but little is said to be the other way around. Yet they have something to tell us about our society and bring a refreshing vision.
Thanks to the study “Expatriates in France: tell us about your life” carried out by Paris 21 in September 2014, we could learn some lessons from the opinions of foreign expatriates.
For 72% of them, integration into their new team has been experienced in a positive way. But we can see that many complain about the cumbersome procedures (88%) but also their hierarchy, too heavy (75%) or not communicating enough (75% also).
Regarding daily life and the French in general, 30% of the expatriates consider their reception to be unsatisfactory… The clichés about the French have therefore probably a background of truth, because they are considered arrogant and unfriendly to 79% but also and above all good living at 66%. The main difficulty faced by expatriates in France is the mastery of the language (44%), which is not surprising considering that the French are a little behind in this area. In the end, 80% of them say that what they prefer the least in France… It’s human relationships! Sad observation that reveals a lot about the efforts to be made for the French …
But let’s be reassured! They love the quality of life, the food and the French culture!
In any case, if you also want to test expatriation and make your own opinion on the customs of a new country, do not forget your expat insurance 1st euro !
