By Chris Evans

It’s been a slightly odd and sad year. We’ve all said goodbye to friends who’ve packed their bags and left for good. Uncertainty over residence permits is invariably cited as the main reason. Immigration is an issue affecting every country in the world. Different solutions are being used, but they all seem to create more problems than they resolve.

We are fortunate in Didim to have the most efficient residence permit office in the country. I regularly see stories from other areas that bemuse me. It has also shown the confusion caused at the start of the year over residence permits hasn’t gone away.

My recent renewal required more documents than usual. It wasn’t an issue, as I’ve learned by living in 10 different countries around the world, that there’s one mantra we should all live by.

We are guests in Turkiye. Like any good guests, we should abide by the house rules. It’s the way we get invited back.

I had the opportunity to explain this to a group of my Turkish friends whilst celebrating one of their birthdays in Seyir Cafe on Sagtur beach recently. It allowed me to find out how they feel about other nationalities coming to live in their communities.

I have good news. We are welcome here, especially if we do our best to become part of the community. It’s what we should do, anyway. We left our home countries for a reason. Why would we want to recreate them here? We should add to a community wherever we go in the world.

I’ve experienced an Indonesian wedding, a weekend in the Saudi desert, and a spin around the Losail track in Qatar with a rally car world champion and London Olympics gold medalist. It only happened because I wanted to be part of the community and add to it if I could.

Of course, spending money in the local shops and restaurants is welcomed with open arms. It doesn’t give us the right to expect to be automatically granted a residence permit. We should have to show what we add to a community to an extent. The concept of being granted residency just because you can pay for it has kept a certain UK daily newspaper ranting for decades.

The concerns my friends had about an influx of immigration were the same as the discussions the world over. The cost of housing and the difficulties with obtaining an affordable mortgage, were top of their list. It’s stunning this has become such a major issue around the world. The necessities of life include a roof over our family’s heads and the funds to put food and water on the table. Something is clearly wrong somewhere.

Prices rising globally and confusion over how long we can stay in a country have a knock-on effect. It has, whatever the official figures say, been a far quieter summer than I’ve ever seen in Didim. It stalls the economy as locals worry about how the lack of the bumper months will affect them over the winter.

Those of us who live here are a lifeline to an extent, as the money we spend over the winter helps pay bills for the businesses we frequent. Obviously, it can’t fill the entire gap. Coupled with the number who have left due to the uncertainties around residence permits, and you can see why my Turkish friends were worried, angry, and a little frightened of the future.

We are guests here, but we are also a part of our communities. Every country needs immigration. It is, mostly, a good thing bringing benefits to all. My friends understand and embrace this.

The Turkish residence permit system has never previously been difficult to navigate. This year, the uncertainty has had an almost immediate effect. Didim needs its summer guests, expats, and locals. It’s the way to drive the local economy and give us all somewhere wonderful to live.

There will always be issues that need to be controlled, otherwise infrastructure breaks down. We all accept this sad fact of life. Finding the balance is the key that no country seems to have resolved yet.

Wherever I’ve been in the world, I’ve always tried to be a good guest. Almost every expat I’ve ever met has been the same. It’s why confusion of residence permits is so damaging. The system here is far better than many places in the world. Of course, it isn’t perfect as the country is so huge with different needs in different places.

I know I’m welcomed like family by many of those in the local community. It’s what makes life so interesting. The question everyone around the world is asking is how long will we be welcomed in any country by those who only look at statistics and not the benefits to local communities? Economic growth and happy communities will only happen if the uncertainty over residence permits is resolved.