If a British person went to Jamaica and said, on social media, that there are so many Jamaicans on benefit in the UK that we should be allowed to live there without any restriction at all, I think they would probably expect to be deported and probably be arrested on arrival back in the UK for stoking up racial tension. There are clearly cultural differences between our two great nations, that's my point. And here is obviously not the place to debate these.
When I first came here, I don't think I respected Dominicans and their way of life very much. I thought that rules shouldn't apply to me, I thought I needn't pay tax, I thought I'd be fine building without the relevant permits. And I learnt the very hard way that as a foreigner you need to be respectful of the rules, sure there are super rich families who do get away with not playing by them, but as foreigners those rules absolutely apply to us. Don't try to change how things work here, if you don't like it then leave, that's what I was told on more than one occasion. As a foreigner if you live in a rented place in an expat community, get your pension and spend it on beers and chicas, you're probably fine. But if you get involved in the country properly, run businesses, employ people, build houses, pay taxes, you'll soon find that not playing by the rules comes at the same stiff price as it would in any other country. My conclusion looking back is how arrogant I was, ever thinking I could just rock up here and think I could do whatever I wanted.
So yeah, I have my residency. I pay my taxes, all of them. And I don't agree with any foreigner who lives here and doesn't want to play by the rules. That's got me through the first 15 years anyway.
