Your company is looking for an employee who is to be sent abroad with his family for a few years. The country and work are interesting, the salary and incentives are good, schools, and kindergarten for the children are available. You start to like the idea. You discuss it with your family, and they also like it too.
You attend an information evening, make contact with colleagues who have already been there and find out about the country, culture, and people. Everything sounds promising until you come across the country’s crime statistics during your research. You are shocked to read that the country has the fourth-highest murder rate in the world. Your first reaction is, I’m never going there.
Have a closer look. Are expats really affected? As horrific as this statistic is, what is it made up of? Are they gang murders? Is it murders in the family environment? Is it about certain neighbourhoods or regions? Or are certain groups affected? Get as much information as possible in advance. Talk to experts. Is there a risk for you and your family? If so, what does it look like? What is the company doing to minimize your risk? What can you do?
Based on all this information, make an informed decision together with your family.
A high crime rate in a country does not necessarily mean a high risk for you and your family.
