Foreigners living in Mexico put aside the serious security problems that some areas of the country are experiencing and focus on the quality of their culture, the sympathy of the nationals and the ease of finding friends. That has made Mexico, for the tenth consecutive year, the best place for expatriates, according to a survey by the InterNations portal, the world’s largest network for people living abroad. For yet another year, it seems that people coming from other countries have turned a deaf ear to the constant complaints of nationals about a foreign invasion that raises prices and throws them out of the most central neighborhoods of the cities.
In Mexico there are already 1.17 million people. The majority come from the United States, Venezuela, Guatemala or Spain, according to a survey by the Mexican government, and they stay here because Mexico is the first in the ease of settling legally and working, first in the sympathy of the locals with whom they interact and an unparalleled ease of making friends. Both with nationals (91% vs. 67% globally) and with people from other countries (89% vs. 65% ease of finding friends in other countries).
However, the residents are also no strangers to the national security problems that the country suffers. Mexico is ranked 45th when it comes to political stability, and 18% of expatriates do not feel safe here, a much higher percentage than the global average (8%). In addition to the robberies and kidnappings reported by the State Department of the US government, there are tragedies that remain in the collective imagination, such as the death at the hands of drug traffickers of American José Melesio Gutiérrez. He disappeared at Christmas when he went to visit the family of his future wife in Zacatecas. Viviana, Daniela, José and Paola suffered an attack on the highway that ended their lives.
The result comes after a survey in which 12,065 expatriates of 171 different nationalities who live in 172 countries throughout the world have been asked. Most live in Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Among the most common nationalities of people who leave their country to seek new opportunities are Americans, British and Indians. Mexico also stands out for job growth opportunities, fair pay and respect for the balance between leisure and work. Something with which many locals would not agree, in a country that has just introduced 12 days of vacation in a year.
Spain has been in second place. Foreigners living there highlight other things, such as its nightlife and the enormous opportunities for fun and leisure. 88% of the expatriates there are happy with the nightlife and 91% are happy with the options to do sports. They also appreciate its climate, although not as much as in Mexico, which is placed in second place, compared to third place that Spain achieves. Foreigners there criticize the difficulties in finding work with growth opportunities and the lack of local job opportunities.
Source: El Pais
