FM What you do not seem to realise is that when you join an Airline as an ex-pat your services can be terminated for no reason usually just by being given 3 months notice or salary in lieu. That is how it has always been and seniority means nothing and obviously one would expect us 'foreigners' to be got rid of first of all in any downturn as we cost more than locals and afterall it is their Airline and we have no employment rights or protection,not that the locals have either in most Airlines.
When you leave Europe/US etc you enter a totally different world.