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* Charges against foreigners seen as politically driven

* Pay, lifestyle outweigh legal risks for most expats

* Immigration wave grows with oil boom

CALGARY/RIO DE JANEIRO, March 27(Reuters) - Brazilian criminal charges against energy industry employees over an oil spill have made foreign workers leery of new legal risks, but so far concerns seem to be outweighed by the lure of good-paying jobs and a famously laid-back lifestyle.

The big question among expatriates is whether last week's charges against Chevron Corp (NYSE: CVX - news) , Transocean (NYSE: RIG - news) and 17 of their staff are political grandstanding in a country actively seeking foreign expertise to help develop its newfound oil riches, or a real risk of doing hard time.

"This prosecution is strange. I think people, more than anything, were surprised they've taken it, or appear to want to take it, to this extent. It's really politically driven from what I can see in talking to some of my Brazilian friends," said Tom Rothfels, a Canadian who recently returned to Toronto from a five-month stint in Brazil working with a helicopter company that serves the offshore oil industry.

"But Brazil has always had a bit of an anti-foreigner current underlying much of what they do," he said.

Despite any new risks, Rothfels said he would not hesitate to go back as, like many, he is attracted to the rich culture of Rio de Janeiro, and an ethic that he said stresses hard work, but "at a certain point, it's 'Let's go to the beach.'"

In the past five years, tens of thousands of workers from around the world have flocked to the South American (Frankfurt: A0MLL6 - news) land of samba, in the midst of a boom with the discovery of 50 billion barrels of crude in a deepwater geological zone known as the subsalt. Another 50 billion could be in the offing.

The charges stem from a 3,000-barrel leak in the Frade field in the Campos Basin, 120 km (75 miles) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, in November (Stuttgart: A0Z24E - news) . Chevron and Transocean have disputed the charges. The executives were ordered to turn in their passports and some could face prison sentences of 31 years.

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Brazil puts expats on notice with Chevron charges

By Ashraf Siddiqui/Doha Pakistani community organisations have celebrated their countrys 72nd National Day with a variety of programmes. An event arranged by socio-cultural forum Safeeran-e-Watan was attended by diplomats, business community members, professionals and community leaders. Pakistan embassy counsellor Mohamed Afzal Shaikh was the chief guest. Speakers highlighted the objectives of the Lahore resolution (later named as Pakistan Resolution) passed 72 years ago at the Lahore Minto Park. Among the speakers were Mohamed Afzal Shaikh, Sardar Ashiq, forums chief patron Malik Mohamed Sarfraz, chairman Syed Aqueel Abbas and Nisar Ahmad. Doha-based Urdu poet Ijaz Haider presented some of his works prepared for the occasion. The programme was conducted by Anam Sanya. The celebrations at Al Khor was organised by Sohni Dharti, a community forum of Pakistani professionals working in RasGas and Qatar Petroleum. In his welcome address, the forums president retired Col Mohamed Khaled highlighted the significance of the Pakistan National Day. It was on this day, that 72 years ago that a resolution was passed at a public meeting organised by All India Muslim League for a separate homeland for the minority Muslims of then British-ruled India. The movement led to the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, he recalled. Khaled also screened a documentary on Pakistans achievements and scenic spots. Adil Ijaz Khan conducted the events. Jannat Maheen paid tributes to the father of nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohamed Ali Jinnah. A group of children participated in a dress show and sang national songs. Mohamed Amjad, Hafiz Khalil, Farhan, Asghar and Irfan Nasir assisted with various arrangements including multi-media, quiz, poetry, lucky draws and prize distribution. Ehsaas, a socio-cultural forum of Pakistanis in Mesaieed, will organise a grand function for families on Thursday (March 29) at Pak Shama School and college from 7.30pm. The programme will include a cake cutting ceremony by the community members, tableaus by the Pakistani schools and live musical entertainment by renowned artistes, Khalil Haider and Asma Lata from Pakistan. Ansar Burney, renowned social worker and former expert adviser to UN Human Rights will be the chief guest. Ehsaas general secretary Amin Motiwala said Burneys presence at the event is a humble acknowledgement by expatriate Pakistanis of his great services for humanity in general and specifically for needy citizens. Burney is also Pakistans former federal minister on human rights and a recipient of the US Award for Human Rights services in 2005. Recently, he gained admiration from India and Pakistan for his active role in the release of 23 hostages from Somalian pirates on board MV Suez, an Egyptian flagged ship. The ship was carrying Indian and Pakistani crew members. Ehsaas president Furqan Paracha said the event will be a showcase of the great heritage and culture of Pakistan. Invitation cards may be obtained from Amin Motiwala (77002646), Furqan Paracha (55227215) or Jangrez Khan (55808009).

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Pakistan expats celebrate national day

Franziska Zimmermann

Swiss lawyer Franziska Zimmermann may have been in Singapore for only 18 months, but she talked as if she has been staying in Singapore since birth and even found fit to lecture Singaporeans!

In an interview conducted by the Straits Times on expatriates working in Singapore, 37 year old Ms Zimmermann felt that Singaporeans are generally friendly to foreigners though some harbor anti-foreigner sentiments, that is to be expected.

This anti-foreigner issue is in every city. Its a natural debate and the Swiss are questioning it too. But no one owes anyone else a living; you cannot say you are entitled to jobs in your country, she says.

Her colleague Ms. Elouisa Dalli added that she is aware that Singaporeans worry about a growing divide between the cosmopolitan rich like her she brags, and lower-income heartlanders, but praises Singapore as a society where opportunities remain open to all.

Everyone in Singapore, regardless of his social background, has the same access to the MRT, education, safety and job opportunities. Only if these opportunities are available only to the top in society that you have a true divide, she was quoted as saying.

The insensitive and downright stupid statements by the arrogant ladies, Zimmerman and Dalli, are not only insulting to Singaporeans, but are harmful to the two ladies and even more so to Syngenta, the company for which they both work.

Ms. Zimmerman is Manager, Public Affairs Asia-Pacific at Syngenta Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. It is unforgivable that a manager of public affairs would make such an inappropriate comment about the guest country, Singapore, where she is working.

Elouisa Dalli is Media & Community Relations Manager, for Syngenta. She is supposed to generate good publicity for Syngenta, but has done exactly the opposite.

Franziska Zimmermann and Elouisa Dalli are not qualified for their jobs as they are insensitive to public affairs or community relations. In both these areas they have only damaged not only their own reputations, but Syngentas as well.

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Swiss expats say Singaporeans not entitled to jobs in Singapore

Expats are likely to be seriously affected by the Air Passenger Duty (APD) rises from next month, with the announcement of an extra eight per cent fee in two weeks' time and further increases due in 2013

Frequent flyers and expats will be hit by increased APD from April 1 2012, with rates set to increase by inflation from April 1 2013 as well. Chancellor George Osborne expects to collect 2.2billion from APD revenue in 2011/2012, rising to 3.9billion by 2016/2017.

Expats say not only do high passenger duties put them off returning to the UK for personal or professional visits, they also encourage people to look for new routes through Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) to reduce flight fees.

"If you fly, say, Business Class from Dubai with the family, the taxes and fees alone are more than 2,000," said Telegraph Expat blogger Annabel Kantaria. "I ask myself, 'Do I really want to go to the UK that badly?' and the answer is often no.

"This year we're flying into Spain, where the taxes and fees are a lot lower, then taking a cheap European flight over to UK in economy class, which also has much lower taxes than flying in from Dubai in Business Class."

Reuven Levitt, CEO of Tripbase.com , says it's time to get smart with your flight bookings. "Fly into the UK but on your return flight go indirect and include a stopover in Europe, preferably out from a regional airport in the UK," he said. "Business Class passengers flying Economy for one of the legs should ensure they rough it on their return flight rather than the inbound. Frequent flyers are also better off taking their chances with a last-minute upgrade rather than booking a Business Class seat in advance to avoid the higher Business Class fees."

ABTA, the body representing 1,300 members from the travel industry, said the news was "a further hammer blow to the industry".

The Chancellors confirmation that he intends to go ahead with double inflationary rise in APD on April 1, together with a further increase in 2013, is incredibly disappointing," said chief executive Mark Tanzer. "The Government has repeatedly said it looks to travel and tourism as one of its key drivers of growth but instead of listening to concerns that APD is stunting this growth, not only in travel but in the wider economy too, it has chosen to significantly increase the tax burden.

Airlines also oppose the tax increase, with the chief executives of easyJet, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways (Other OTC: BABWF.PK - news) -owner International Airlines Group teaming up in a joint-response, saying that APD had "no international parallel" anywhere else in the world. Currently, only five European countries levy any form of aviation tax and the UK's rate is already the highest.

The Airport Operators Association said it was "dismayed" at the APD decision, while airline chiefs described APD as a "job-destroying tax". The rise in APD come at a time when Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), an environmental tax on aviation, is being introduced but the Government has not announced any plans to offset the revenue raised from the ETS against APD.

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Budget 2012: expats hit in the pocket by APD

Kate Moore is bored.

Every day, she gets her kids off to school, cooks, cleans and shops, occasionally has coffee with other stay-at-home moms, folds laundry. Then she gets up the next day and does it all over again.

All-day domesticity is no life for a former CIA assassin even one who's given up the game to move to Luxembourg for her husband's mysterious new banking job.

Luckily for Kate the heroine of author Chris Pavone's new thriller, The Expats life is about to get interesting. Pavone tells weekends on All Things Considered guest host Laura Sullivan that while he was never a CIA agent, his life and Kate's have many parallels.

"Both Kate and I left behind careers in the United States that we were no longer that enamored with, and we were ready to make a big change, and ready to do something else and be someone else," he says.

Both Kate and her creator ran up against the difficulties of raising children and making a new home in a foreign country. "Those things are partially exciting and mostly dreadfully boring," he says.

Chris Pavone worked in the publishing industry for nearly two decades. He has also written a wine-tasting journal called The Wine Log.

Chris Pavone worked in the publishing industry for nearly two decades. He has also written a wine-tasting journal called The Wine Log.

But Luxembourg is a great place to reinvent yourself. "If you want to, you can totally just become someone else," he says. "Because the person you're talking to is from the Maldives, or Spain, and you're not. And the things in your life that would get you caught if you were lying aren't there to get you caught."

In The Expats, everyone's lying about almost everything from Kate and her husband to the mysterious American couple who just keep showing up in their lives.

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Secrets And Lies Overseas In 'The Expats'