Isolation Has Tragic Consequences
A British woman who lived in Paredón, near Alicante, Spain, was brutally murdered during a robbery in her home, while her bedridden husband heard her screams but was unable to come to her rescue. This is an extreme example of what expatriates face in Spain, where unemployment is on the rise with a corresponding increase in robberies.
Expats are often perceived as being rich although, of course, many are not. The robbers in Spain are thought to be gangs from countries other than Spain.
Charles Svoboda, a former Canadian diplomat living in Alicante, who frequently provides reports to liveabroad.com, told a Times reporter, that expatriates are increasingly the victims of robberies. He added in a note to us that the British living in Spain usually speak little or no Spanish, which makes it difficult for them to communicate with local police or to give testimony during trials.
Isolation is a major issue for expatriates. Svoboda commented on the situation in Spain, “A lot of expats either live in very isolated areas, or in built-up areas where very few people live all year around. A lot of them do not talk to each other. The British do not talk to the Germans, the Germans do not talk to the Swiss and nobody talks to the French, so you get these people who are very isolated and who are perfect pickings for gangs.”
Wherever you are, there’s something to be said for getting to know your neighbors, whether they are local people or other expats.