It’s very common, when we think of an international move, that what comes to mind is that the destination will be a major world center. It is, indeed, the most common scenario for expatriates, but does not exclude the fact that there are many other destinations outside this circuit that attract many people to move there.
These destinations are conventionally called hardship locations, both by diplomatic circles as well as by the market. They are towns, regions, or even countries that have some kind of social or economic problem, which makes it difficult for the expat who moves there to adapt.
The measurement of this scale of difficulty is made, normally, through HDI (Human Development Index) data of the locality in question. This number is a result of indexing data about health, education, safety, urban infrastructure conditions, and several other aspects of life in a certain locality.
Thus, the lower the HDI, the worse the average living conditions of the local population. Some HDI variables are also connected to events, such as natural catastrophes, civil wars, and any type of extemporaneous condition.
The lower the local HDI, the more difficult is the move to these places. Thus, when transferred to these destinations, especially for professional reasons, the expatriate must be guided by a relocation specialist in cultural training, besides by the moving company itself. This goes beyond the practical aspects of packing and customs clearance – it has to do with the adaptation to a different culture, often with potential difficulties.
It is important that a professional team offers the security needed for a family to be reallocated with the best possible life structure within the local reality. This involves education for children and youngsters, health structure, choice of safety and wellbeing in the neighborhood of the move, and adaptation to the local culture, having in view its peculiarities.
These are means of structuring a process of international move that counts on the good work of intelligent, efficient and up-to-date teams. Getting the visa process right, house hunting, settling in, choice of school for families with children, can alleviate the difficulties of the move, and open up spaces for the family to get better acquainted with the country they are moving to, and feeling safer because a local specialist is looking after everything in the best possible way.
FINK counts on an experienced and specialized team for processes such as these. We consider the work of relocation and moving as something multidisciplinary and integrated in various aspects, and find this method an excellent way of delivering solid results to our clients.
