Understanding the real-world triggers that influence hardship allowances is critical for global mobility professionals, especially as living conditions around the world continue to fluctuate due to violence, conflict, climate events, and health system stress. This update summarizes notable events from Q2 2025 that are likely to affect perceptions of hardship in various assignment locations.
At AIRINC, we monitor changes in location conditions to support data-driven hardship evaluations. These updates help ensure that organizations are accurately accounting for the realities employees may face abroad.
Violence and Conflict: Sharp Increases Across Regions
In many locations, personal safety has deteriorated due to an uptick in violent incidents:
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Bahamas: A rise in violent crime—including murder and sexual assault—has been recorded, impacting general security conditions.
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Grenoble, France: A grenade attack at a restaurant injured dozens, highlighting that even traditionally lower-risk Western European locations can experience sudden violence.
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Vancouver, Canada: One of the most severe incidents in the city’s history occurred when a car drove into a crowd at a Filipino street festival, killing 11 people.
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Warsaw, Poland: An ax attack at a university resulted in one death and one injury, contributing to growing concerns about random violence in public spaces.
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India–Pakistan border: Following a terrorist attack in Kashmir, military tensions escalated with both countries launching airstrikes. A New Delhi-bound flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a bomb threat. Cities like Jammu (India) and Lahore (Pakistan) were directly impacted.
These developments may contribute to changes in personal safety scores in affected locations—one of the key factors used in hardship evaluations.
Sociopolitical Tensions and Targeted Hostility
Emerging sociopolitical shifts are also altering the expatriate experience:
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Dublin, Ireland: Ongoing anti-migrant protests linked to economic concerns have increased civil unrest and hostility toward foreigners.
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Maldives: A newly imposed ban on Israeli citizens adds a layer of political complexity and restricts access for certain populations, a trend with implications for both travel and assignments.
These examples show how shifts in local sentiment and policy can quickly change the perceived or actual difficulty of living in a location.
Climate and Environmental Events
Environmental volatility continues to shape living conditions:
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Severe weather events: Dust storms in the U.S., major flooding in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Puerto Rico, wildfires in Mexico, cyclones in Réunion, and earthquakes in Myanmar and Vanuatu have all disrupted daily life in recent months.
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Such environmental risks can lead to reduced mobility, infrastructure strain, and difficulties accessing essentials—all factors considered in AIRINC’s hardship methodology.
Health System Strain
Healthcare access is another core component of hardship evaluations:
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Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: The city’s main hospital is facing extreme overcrowding, limiting the ability of medical staff to treat patients. This reduction in care quality has direct implications for assignee well-being.
Shifts in Legal and Social Norms
Legal rulings and public reactions also shape the social fabric of locations:
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United Kingdom: A Supreme Court decision and a change in police policy have sparked concern about increased transphobia and violence against women. The case has reopened public discussion around the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard by a police officer—an event that continues to influence perceptions of trust and safety in public institutions.
Changes in social acceptance and institutional behavior affect how expatriates and their families experience daily life, especially for diverse and marginalized groups.
Context Matters in Hardship Assessment
While hardship scores are derived from a structured methodology, understanding the context behind score changes is essential. The factors noted above—whether a single violent event or a systemic infrastructure issue—demonstrate the complex realities that shape expatriate experiences.
For a deeper dive into how these factors influence hardship evaluations, explore our collection of past articles on hardship trends, which detail how our methodology adapts to real-time developments.
For a broader understanding of how AIRINC defines and delivers hardship allowances, visit our Hardship Allowances overview, which outlines the components, scoring system, and use cases for program design.
Conclusion
This quarter’s developments demonstrate the broad range of factors that can alter hardship ratings—from regional conflict and policy changes to infrastructure strain and environmental risk. Tracking these events closely allows organizations to maintain fair, accurate, and responsive mobility policies.
If you’re evaluating hardship conditions for upcoming moves, these global shifts are worth considering as part of your internal risk and allowance assessments.