Migrating to another country is a decision that changes life that is accompanied by both opportunities and challenges. While some find a new start, others find it difficult to integrate. A Reddit user recently shared his life experience in New Zealand, revealing why they finally decided to return to India.
In a long post, the user, who grew up in New Zealand but was not born there, painted a brutal image of life in the island nation. They warned potential immigrants that the country’s geographic isolation will result in high costs, limited commercial opportunities and a feeling of “small town”. “This is a geographically isolated country, which means that goods are generally more expensive due to shipping costs. It also means no neighbors – which could be good for India but makes that NZ feels like a small town where you are just not connected to the rest of the world, “they wrote.
According to the user, the small population of five million people from New Zealand makes it an unattractive market for many international companies. “Many international companies do not see the point of investing in NZ or simply leaving. For example, about a year ago, Nike closed its NZ online store – so you will now have to ship Nike products abroad if you buy online. »»
They also described the country as “extremely dull”, without dynamism and social energy of India. “The largest shopping centers are all closing at 7 p.m. Most stores close at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. You walk in the city center after 8:30 p.m., and there is practically no one. People are all at home because things are expensive. There is really not much to do just to eat and drink. »»
Citing an investigation in which expatriates have ranked in New Zealand as the second country in the world worldwide, the user stressed that high costs make life difficult. “You take a bus / taxi from one city to another, and this is the majority of your disposable income for the week. Thus, people all end up staying at home and doing nothing after work. »»
Health care mixtures and social challenges
One of the largest complaints was New Zealand’s health system. The user criticized long waiting times for specialists, the high cost of private consultations and what they have seen as a lack of experienced doctors. “My friend had to see a cardiologist for chest pain. Just for a first consultation, it cost him about RS 1 Lakh. They also shared an incident where their father had to return to India to have kidney stones remove due to a six-month expectation for surgery in New Zealand.
The position also mentioned racial biases in health care. “The government is prioritizing health care for the Aboriginal populations of Māori and islanders of the Pacific, which means that other breeds are depreciated on any fault on their part.”
Beyond health care, the user has struggled to train social connections. “It is difficult to make friends here. People are friendly but island. The culture here is that you make your friends while you are young – at school or at university – and you stick to life. They don’t like to bring new people to their circles. »»
Finding a life partner was another struggle, especially for Indian immigrants. “To delicately or rightly, the Indians have a negative reputation in NZ. You can go to any sureddit NZ and search for “Indian” to see the type of comments that appear. And, of course, the beauty standards here are Eurocentric. »»
‘Is not worth it’
Although the user has recognized the positive points of New Zealand – a peaceful environment, a high minimum wage and social security services – he considered that they were not sufficient to justify the stay. “Maybe NZ is good if you are old enough and you have already lived most of your life. But none of this is worth the negatives of life in New Zealand. »»
The position launched a debate, some agree while others defended the country. A commentator wrote: “It depends on the person. My brother loved – hiking, campsite and outdoors. He is back in India now and miserable. Another argued: “OP just grew up in a typical desi bubble which prevented it from building a real social capital. If there is never high confidence society with an egalitarian and fair culture, it is New Zealand. »»
The discussion highlights the deeply personal nature of migration – what works for a person may not work for another. For this Redditor, however, the decision was clear: New Zealand was not at home.
