On Brexit worries : migration and remittance landscapes in Timor-Leste

During July 2016 on a visit to the town of Los Palos, Lautem district in the far east of Timor-Leste, there were two hot topics of conversation raised by Fataluku friends and ac-quaintances. First, would Portugal go all the way and win the European Football Association Final that year? They were getting tantalisingly close. Second, what were the implications for the dramatic and unexpected vote on Brexit and the decision by the British to leave the European Union. The fact that these definitive issues of global reach had such purchase in an out-of-the-way place like Los Palos, only highlighted the degree to which its residents these days see themselves as connected citizens of a global ecumene. But more than this, it also speaks to the kinds of material interests that engage many East Timorese and their aspirations for particular kinds of values and livelihood opportunities.