What Are the Motives of Americans to Migrate to Europe?

As Europe grapples with the challenges of integrating millions of immigrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, another wave of migrants is quietly reshaping the continent: Americans.

More and more Americans are leaving their homeland and settling in European countries, seeking a better quality of life, a lower cost of living, or a refuge from the social and political turmoil that has gripped the United States in recent years.

While some are drawn by ancestral ties, cultural affinity, or professional opportunities, others are motivated by a sense of disillusionment or alienation from their own country.

The Economist quoted James Baldwin, the renowned African-American writer who moved to France in 1948 to escape racism and homophobia, as an emblematic figure of this phenomenon. “I didn’t know what was going to happen to me in France, but I knew what was going to happen to me in New York,” he wrote in his essay Stranger in the Village.

For many Americans today, especially those who belong to marginalized groups or dissent from mainstream politics, Europe offers a more tolerant and progressive environment where they can enjoy greater social security, health care, and education.

Some also see Europe as a safer place where they can avoid the violence and polarization that have plagued the United States in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the racial justice protests.

 

Unstable Society

As the United States grapples with political polarization, social unrest, and a pandemic that has claimed more than 800,000 lives, many Americans are looking for a way out.

Some have found it across the Atlantic, where they have settled in European countries that offer a different lifestyle, culture, and political climate.

According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the number of Americans living in Europe increased by about 20% from 2013 to 2020, reaching nearly 900,000.

The number of Americans who live in Europe has risen steadily over the past two decades, from 3.6 million in 2005 to 5 million in 2019, according to the British magazine The Economist.

The growth was especially pronounced in some southern and western European countries, where Americans were drawn by the warmer weather, lower cost of living, and more generous social welfare systems.

For example, in the Netherlands, the number of Americans rose from about 15,500 in 2013 to 24,000 in 2020, an increase of 55%. In Portugal, it tripled to reach nearly 10,000, while in Spain, it rose from about 20,000 to about 34,000.

These countries also have relatively low rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths compared to the United States.

The trend of American migration to Europe reflects a growing dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in their home country.

According to Gallup polls, the percentage of Americans who said they wanted to move permanently to another country rose from 11% under Barack Obama’s term to 16% under Donald Trump’s term, and by 2022, it reached 17%, despite the election of Joe Biden.

A survey conducted by YouGov last year found that those who think about migration were mostly liberals. Unsurprisingly, conservatives are less likely to say they want to leave their country, as they tend to be more patriotic and satisfied with the status quo.

 

Political Reasons

However, moving to Europe is not a simple or easy decision. It involves legal, financial, and emotional challenges, such as obtaining visas and work permits, finding housing and jobs, adapting to a new culture and language, and maintaining ties with family and friends back home.

Moreover, Europe is not a utopia; it has its own problems and conflicts, such as rising populism, terrorism, and immigration issues.

For some of these expatriates, moving to Europe was a way of seeking security and stability in a turbulent time.

They witnessed the rise of violence and political unrest in their homeland, with frequent mass shootings, racial tensions, and partisan conflicts.

They felt anxious and fearful about their future, especially after the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

In contrast, they were drawn to some European countries that offered a sense of peace and order, with lower crime rates, stronger social welfare systems, and more stable governments.

They hoped to find a safer and more comfortable environment for themselves and their families. Caroline Behringer, an American who worked as an assistant to Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, was one of them.

She moved to the Netherlands in 2017, shortly after Donald Trump won the presidential election.

She said that for many expatriates like her, politics was not the main reason for leaving but rather a reason for not coming back. She added: “It’s not just the elections, but the ongoing division.”

 

Economic Motives

For many Americans who have moved to Europe in recent years, the appeal of a different lifestyle outweighs the lure of higher salaries at home.

Tracy Metz, the director of the John Adams Institute, a Dutch-American cultural organization, said that the most common reason she heard from her fellow expatriates was that they enjoyed a better work-life balance in Europe.

“The thing we hear all the time is that the balance between work and life is much better here,” she said.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, American workers clocked an average of 1,811 hours in 2020, while European workers worked 1,571 hours.

The Dutch, who have some of the most generous labor laws and social benefits in the continent, worked only 1,427 hours a year.

Some Americans are also drawn to the strong social safety nets that European countries offer, especially in times of crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted millions of lives and livelihoods around the world, has also made living abroad more feasible for some professionals who can work remotely.

Many countries have introduced special visas for “digital nomads,” a term used to describe those who can work online from anywhere, as long as they meet certain criteria.

For example, Estonia and Croatia have launched digital nomad visas that allow foreign workers to stay for up to a year, while Spain and Portugal have similar schemes for self-employed workers.

The European countries that attract the most Americans have also made enticing offers for foreign talent.

The Netherlands has a tax incentive scheme that allows companies to exempt 30% of the income of highly skilled foreign workers from taxes for up to five years.

In Portugal, which has become a popular destination for American retirees and entrepreneurs, a residence permit can be obtained with an income as low as 150% of the national minimum wage, or about 1,100 euros per month.