But no sooner had he completed one such foray than the rules for Indian visas were changed so that someone who had been in the country for 90 days would then have to leave for three months before they could return. “It makes life as an expat completely impossible,” he e-mailed as he prepared to pack the crates for a return to the UK.At the time I remember brooding over the way that although the world is growing ever more globalized in terms of goods and services, governments are still doing their utmost to keep a grip on who lives where. At the same time I also remember thinking: “Oh no! That sounds like just the sort of change bureaucrats love. Please don't let the same thing happen here.”
Well, by now many readers will already know that on July 14 the visa regulations here were indeed changed in exactly the same way, and without any advance notice, what's more. Here in Cappadocia it wasn't likely to affect many of us since we're so far away from any handy borders to hop across that most of us have long since bitten the bullet and applied for residency. But I have friends all over the country, and clearly it was going to have a devastating affect on those living along the coast or in İstanbul.
Now it appears that pressure from the British ambassador among others has led to the changes being put on hold. The latest information is that the visa regime that was in place before July 14 has been reinstated, although use of the word “delayed” in most of the coverage suggests that this may only be the lull before the storm.
Since I have residency, the changes didn't appear to have anything to do with me directly, but while trying to get to the bottom of what was happening I read alarming (and not necessarily accurate) comments about residency too, and felt a frisson of fear at such a pointed reminder of how insecure are all of us who choose to live outside our country of birth. At the click of a bureaucrat's button, I now realized, our lives can be turned upside down, which is hardly a thought to guarantee a good night's sleep.
Of course every country has the right to lay down whatever rules it likes about who can and cannot stay in it, and I know only too well how hard it can be for a Turk to get a visa even for a short holiday to the UK. On the other hand, the welfare systems in Britain and Turkey are completely different, and I don't know of a single expat who is making even the smallest financial claim on Turkey. Most, indeed, are clearly net contributors to the economy.
Time will tell, I suppose, and perhaps the government can be persuaded not to reinstate the changes in due course. I'm not holding my breath though...
Pat Yale lives in a restored cave-house in Göreme in Cappadocia.
