Crowdfund Thread
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller If you have advice, please clearly lay it out here, so that we can make adjustments ASAP
Flights can be cheap, Aer Lingus, Norwegian Shuttle, etc. Check prices. We got a family of four to Spain for less than $2K a month ago. @ryanov is here having flown in from NY and thinking these prices are completely crazy too. He is fling back to the US tomorrow.
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What city are they in? Where are they? Spain is a very large country.
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@scottalanmiller And there was massive miscommunication for price set. Shouldn't be more than 1K both for one way for them to take a small amount of luggage with them.
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller And there was massive miscommunication for price set. Shouldn't be more than 1K both for one way for them to take a small amount of luggage with them.
Yes, $1K total for both would be hunting for the best possible prices. $700 per person is a reasonable amount, and nowhere near the lowest.
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@scottalanmiller Everyone at this point is freaking out to a massive degree, I'm trying to be the voice of reason here, it's not working.
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If they could raise $5K, which is their target amount, they could, in theory, live in Spain for a long time. Using it to get to the US might screw them - trapping them in a country where they lack the necessary citizenship to function. The US is NOT a welcoming country, in general. I hope no one has told them that this is a good idea.
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller Everyone at this point is freaking out to a massive degree, I'm trying to be the voice of reason here, it's not working.
How do you know them? What city!?!? At least what region / state?
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Get them to Germany where there is massive welfare, moderate numbers of jobs and they are already clear to work and don't even need a passport. I've got good friends who just hitchhiked across France with no jobs, no money and did just fine. Like five days ago.
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@scottalanmiller He's closest to Magala(?)
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And it isn't like I don't have connections in the capital. I could really find things out if I had more info.
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller He's closest to Magala(?)
LOL. Will be in Malaga in four hours. Taking @ryanov to the airport there shortly. Was just there. Got friends arriving there later this morning. They are one province over from me, still in the same state.
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Are they from there? Tell them I am in La Alpujarra, in Granada province.
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Andalucia, which Malaga is in, is the poorest part of the Spain - the hardest hit from the financial crunch. But also the cheapest to live in. Money goes FAR here. Malaga is on the Costa del Sol, the world famous stretch of resorts on Europe's best beaches. It's the largest city of the region and the provincial capital.
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@scottalanmiller it's just the nearest place with an airport I guess
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller it's just the nearest place with an airport I guess
It's the only airport that could get you to the US from southern Spain. That's why we are there every few days. I'll be there again Monday and again Wednesday.
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The biggest issue is.... without a degree from an accredited university, the US won't consider them. You can't just show up in the US and try to work. That's what people border jumping from Mexico do and you know how well that goes. They'd never make minimum wage and would eventually get caught and deported. Once that happens, they would really be screwed. Then the EU would never help them either, I suspect.
But they are legal to work in Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Ireland, etc. all without any paperwork (but a passport needed for UK and Ireland, but that is just $25.) All of those places they could be working in right now.
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That they are Spanish speakers and, I presume, can't hide it, they will be taken for illegal Mexicans (instead of illegal Spaniards) in the US and the abuse will be extreme. There is a reason why Spaniards never consider the US as an emigration destination while Brits, Germans and others do. Racism is a major factor in the US and they would be in the worst possible demographic situation on top of their other problems.
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@scottalanmiller One of them is extremely fluent in English, but that's it.
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@Mike-Ralston said:
@scottalanmiller One of them is extremely fluent in English, but that's it.
Fluent is great, but they have to also be able to hide that Spanish is their native tongue. That's hard. If they are fluent in English AND speak Spanish they can work anywhere in Spain, literally. English speaking is the top skill sought in Spain today. Read anything about Spain and they talk about it. The one that speaks English could find work in a day, anywhere if they are fluent.
English speaking will get you work far faster than a PdD with a 4.0. Not $100K work, but easily pay the bills work.
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I have to get to bed as I have to be up in four hours to get to Malaga. But this really should not be the big deal that it is being made out to be. I realize when you are homeless and clueless and don't know how passports, visas and other things work that you are pretty screwed - and I'm rescuing people in a similar boat in a few hours, actually. But they need to understand that if they have English they Can work in Spain, they have the one skill the guarantees work.
They need to understand the Europe has jobs, even if Spain does not (but it does) and that they are legally allowed to do any of them. They need to know that Europe is far more accepting of LGBT than anywhere else. If they don't like it there, they are in tough shape.
They need to understand that getting to the US is going to be a barrier, but nothing compared to coming to the western world's least accepting nation and country with the fewest social systems. And that leaving the EU, which is bigger than the US and has just as many jobs to go to a small country where they can't work, can't get assistance and can't stay over 90 days is suicide.
They also need to understand that the US is dangerous. Dangerous to a degree that no Spaniard would understand. Spain is safe, like Iowa safe. The most dangerous parts of Spain are pretty safe. The US is much scarier than Europe in general and Spain is safe even by European standards. They are in for a safety shock.
Weather will be an issue too. Living outside in Spain is nice. In the US, not so likely.
These are the things that they need to work with. The delusion that the US is a panacea for the woes of Europe could literally get them killed if they are not careful.
