Well, I must say in my point of view an Expat & an Immigrant are the same do you agree?
I have been asked on several occasions why I use the word expat (expatriate) and not the word immigrant.
Here is my reason for making this statement. I have been traveling across the globe for years and I have noticed how the term is used by different people from different countries.
i'M AM IMMIGRANT, i'M AN IMMIGRANT
For example, 2 years ago, I met a British couple who have been living in Spain for over 25years and they called themselves expats. They also have Spanish citizenship but refuse to use the word immigrants. They stated immigrant is a word use for people from what they viewed as third world countries. Their statement clearly shows a lack of knowledge.
I also met another who have been living in Spain but originally from Senegal they have been living in Spain for 25 years they call themselves immigrants.
Now let’s see how best I can address this issue of Expat Vs Immigrant
Here are the definitions According to the Cambridge dictionary
An immigrant
“a person who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently”
An expatriate (Expat)
“Someone who does not live in their own country “
Therefore, in a nutshell Expats or immigrants can be used to describe an individual who lives in a country other than their birth country.
So, feel free to use either terms an expats or an immigrant it’s your choice .