May 5, 2025
📍New York / Lisbon / Madrid
![Photo suggestion: A same-sex couple standing with suitcases at a European train station, looking contemplatively at a departure board. Alternatively, a quiet street in Lisbon or Barcelona with an American flag subtly visible on a backpack.]
Caption: Amid rising political tension in the U.S., some citizens are considering starting anew in Europe. (Getty Images)
As former President Donald Trump ramps up his campaign for a return to the White House, a wave of anxiety is rippling through certain sections of the American public—particularly among progressive groups, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those unsettled by the country's divisive politics and gun violence. For some, that anxiety is turning into action: a plan to leave the United States for good.
New York residents Doris Davis, 69, and Susie Bartlett, 52, a same-sex couple, are preparing to make a life-altering move—leaving behind their home, careers, and familiarity in hopes of building a more secure life in Europe. “We love our country, but we can’t love it the way it is now,” says Davis, an educational consultant. “When your existence feels threatened, anger and despair become your daily companions.”
They’re not alone. According to data obtained by Reuters and cross-verified with multiple immigration consultancies, interest in European residency, citizenship, and long-stay visas among Americans has spiked following Trump’s renewed political momentum.
📈 Migration by the Numbers
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Ireland saw a 60% year-on-year rise in U.S. passport applications during January and February 2025, with an average of 4,300 monthly requests.
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France received 2,383 long-term visa applications from Americans in the first quarter of 2025—up from 1,980 in the same period last year.
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The U.K. witnessed its highest number of American passport applications in two decades in Q4 2024.
Many of these applicants cite fears over social and political instability. For LGBTQ+ Americans in particular, recent proposals from Trump—including a renewed ban on transgender people serving in the military and a national rollback on gender-affirming healthcare—have left many feeling unsafe.
One transgender couple from Colorado, speaking anonymously, shared that they are in the process of applying for student visas to Italy to escape what they describe as “a climate of fear and erasure.”
🧳 Life Abroad: Easier Said Than Done
While Europe may seem like a haven, it has its own complications. Popular destinations like Portugal, Spain, and Italy are grappling with housing shortages and anti-immigrant sentiments. In response, countries have begun shutting down fast-track visa schemes such as the Golden Visa, which allowed wealthy foreigners to gain residency through real estate investment.
“We saw a flood of American interest in the final months before Spain ended its Golden Visa,” says Rebecca Caballero, a representative from Spanish real estate developer Gilmar. “Some bought homes without even seeing them.”
Still, programs like the Digital Nomad Visa and Retirement Visas remain popular, especially among remote workers and retirees.
“People don’t fully understand what’s coming. But they feel it—and they’re acting,”
— Thea Duncan, Founder, Doing Italy
🏳️🌈 A Personal Exodus
For Davis and Bartlett, their motivation is not just political but deeply personal. As a same-sex couple, they feel increasingly alienated in a country where rights they once fought for are now being challenged. “We’ve started speaking with an immigration attorney,” says Bartlett. “Portugal or Spain feel like our best options—not just because of policy, but because of lifestyle and acceptance.”
They know Europe is no utopia—right-wing populism is also rising across the continent. But to them, it's a chance at a more dignified and peaceful life.
🔚 A Symbolic Shift?
Although the number of Americans emigrating is still small in proportion to the country’s 330 million population, the symbolic weight of this shift is significant.
“When citizens begin planning exits based on political fears rather than job offers or wanderlust, it says something,” notes immigration policy analyst Jenna McHale. “It's a barometer of national unease.”
As the U.S. heads into another heated election season, the number of Americans considering a future elsewhere may continue to grow—not out of protest, but self-preservation.
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