this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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[–] shirro@aussie.zone 32 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Non-murican - strongly feel preference should be given to genuine refugees fleeing war, famine etc where they have absolutely no ability to influence their fate other than escape. The US is a failed democracy but the people there have barely begun to challenge their government compared to what we have seen elsewhere in the world. And there is still refuge available in blue states. US citizens need to stand up and fight. Then if they fail, only then do they get to go in the queue with the genuine humanitarian refugees. I don't like queue jumpers. Sorry but impingement on your civil liberties doesn't compare with families in war torn parts of the world living in fear fear of having their limbs blown off every night.

Ofcourse business around the world would like to cherry pick talent for in demand jobs. They prefer not to invest in developing local people when they can import experienced talent for less. So people with in demand skills will get in that way, not as refugees.

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[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 29 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Canadian here. I'll welcome anyone who voted against Trump.

Those who voted for Trump or didn't vote at all can die in a ditch.

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[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The Netherlands probably, but with the massive grain of salt that I suspect that choosing a "ideal place to live" without actually having been to that place is likely to result in a skewed idea of what a place is truly like, and as I've never been outside the United States I have that issue when thinking about any other country. I also doubt they or anywhere else that might make my list of ideal places would want me, seeing as I'm just some random factory worker without any especially rare skill.

[–] treadful@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (3 children)

To me The Netherlands is just weed, bikes, trains, and canals. Sounds great.

I'm also fairly sure it's not going to be as great as it sounds. And the language will probably be annoying and not very useful elsewhere.

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[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 week ago (6 children)

As a Canadian, it appears to me that most of the Americans who want to move here are doing so because they like and support the way that Canada is currently functioning, and that's fine by me.

Immigrants who want the country to change for them are problematic. I almost think that first generation immigrants shouldn't get to vote, it should be a gift to their children rather than themselves. That shouldn't even need the child to be born in Canada, I'd actually be fine with anyone who goes through at least half their primary education (so let's say grade 7 or younger) here being included if they moved here with their parents when they were younger.

[–] match@pawb.social 8 points 1 week ago

i think if i immigrated to Canada I'd fight for First Nations rights and want it to change in favor of that

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[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 1 week ago (13 children)

Honestly lots of Western Europe, but personally: Iceland, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, etc.

Objectively places like Spain, Portugal, Malta, etc. would work.

I have no delusions of ever making it as an immigrant in any of these countries. You need a lot of money.

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[–] UniversalBasicJustice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I pursued an engineering BSc with the desire to emigrate but got distracted by the success of SpaceX and wooed by the challenge of Mars colonization. Then the US health insurance industry got in the way, I failed out and didn't make it back until COVID. I graduated in 2022 with the first university degree in my family but was crippled by student loan debt and unable to save to leave. Was finally able to escape the rural Midwest a year ago and made it to a city with plenty of aerospace companies right as everyone stopped hiring. The cherry on top was the CEO of the company whose engineering feats initially inspired me throwing fascist salutes at inauguration.

Odd jobs and parental support have mostly kept me afloat, but they can't help forever and I am a few months out from having to move back. The military industrial complex slid into my DMs recently with the offer of a fat paycheck and loaded resume in exchange for my ethics and morals. They even dangled a carrot of potential transfer to a NASA climate science project after the contract is up, but I'll be surprised if it's still funded by then. Frankly, I broke down when I realized the project I'd be working on.

I'll hear back about the position early next week and I'm desperately hoping it's a no and I'm back to the drawing board, but if it's a yes I'll be starting in a couple weeks. The BBB will very likely lead to losing the best, most effective and enabling healthcare I've received so far, and the salary would cover the insurance plan I'd need to maintain that care. Its a short contract and the salary would also enable me to save enough to emigrate but I already feel compromised. I've dreamed of contributing to space exploration and am instead being bullied into contributing to it's militarization by a country I've opposed for the entirety of my adult life.

I've looked into joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legionnaires and would much rather contribute to European defense against Russia, but I honestly just want to pursue an MSc or even PhD and turn my brain towards mitigating and adapting to climate change. I've worked so fucking hard, dreamed so fucking big and bounced back from defeat time and time again for this? Fuck.

Tl;dr: Masters/PhD in Sweden or Germany but barring that I'll work for any European defense company that will take an american immigrant.

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[–] Bebopalouie@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 week ago (11 children)

Why is the difference between immigrant and ex patriot?

[–] rf_@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago

If you migrate from a rich country to a poor country you’re an expat.

If you migrate from a poor country to a rich country you’re an immigrant and you’re both lazy and taking all the jobs and welfare and healthcare.

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's relative to the country - you expatriate from your country of origin, and become an immigrant to a new host country.

Expatriate and emigrate are more or less synonyms.

ex patriot

That's what I became when the Nazis took over as a result of being overwhelming popular to US voters. Turns out it's not just a handful of powerful fuckers taking advantage of the rest of us: 'we the people' are, for the most part, just evil.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

No, the difference is whether you are just residing outside your home country or actually immigrating to the new country. It is the difference between a vacation and moving somewhere. It is more along the lines of external patriot than former patriot.

Someone who still sees themselves as a citizen of their home country and just happens to live elsewhere is an expat. So an American living in Mexico is an expat, no matter what their length of stay is. If they immigrate, they are moving permanently and they see themselves as a part of the new country, either by seeking citizenship or claiming that as their 'home' as part of their identity.

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[–] guynamedzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 week ago

Probably Finland, or another Nordic country. Idk, I just like the cold and the woods and figure those oughtta fit the bill

[–] match@pawb.social 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

the country i was to go to is the imagined America of our ancestors like Langston Hughes, the land of equality and opportunity and liberation and diversity, full of immigrants working for their own and their shared futures

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[–] Bwaz@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Portugal, though I doubt they want Americans any more.

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[–] Fletcher@lemmy.today 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm thinking either Finland or Norway. But the only way I could ever emigrate to either of those countries would be as an asylum seeker. I don't make enough money, nor do I have any skills they want. I've got plenty of skills...just not any that are in 'high demand'.

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[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

I'm Canadian. I don't mind accepting American refugees as long as we also learn to accept refugees from other countries and value them all equally, but our current government isn't doing that.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

If I could live in no country I’d be so happy. But the only place to do that is a desert in Africa and my natural habitat is temperate forests.

So I guess Canada.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 8 points 1 week ago

New Zealand is quite lovely; I could afford it and I’m on the expedited list of specialties. Can’t leave the kids, though, so I’m stuck watching the ship go down.

[–] scottmeme@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Canada, I'm a citizen there as well

Dream? Hard to say since I've never been outside the US. Maybe Ireland?

Reality? Pretty much anywhere that I would have the opportunity to make a living.

[–] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, or Germany, in no particular order. Then again, of those 4, I've only been to Canada.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 week ago

Hey. If yanks get get to Canada, and get in, I'm sure we'd love to have ya.

There's a catch: if you're not fleeing persecution, you're gonna need a skill. It bumps up your score on the big calculation they do, and if you can keep doing the skilled work you may one day afford to live somewhere other than winnipeg.

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Even though things aren't going as they should, I wouldn't be likely to leave. I don't agree with a lot of what's happening here, but there's no nation I know that supports more of my beliefs and lifestyle than the USA. Plus, my family, my friends, and my loved ones are all here. Leaving would mean losing them, and that's totally unacceptable.

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[–] mrodri89@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I don’t want to start over. I’d rather die.

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[–] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Dream country? Monaco, lol. But more realistically either Canada, Australia or New Zealand

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I googled a bit, my best bet is Canada.

Large population of the Chinese diaspora, so I don't feel too much like a minority (I am Chinese American).

The other choice is Australia.

EU is great, but since the UK isn't in EU anymore, I'd have to chose a non-English country, meaning, I'd have to learn another language. My brain can't handle that. Already have 3 spoken and 2 written languages stuck in my head (mostly dormant, haven't used some those languages for a while), I think my brain will explode if I try to learn more. Population of the Chinese diaspora is too small. So I'd also feel alone, because like... Imagine living in a place where nobody looks like you. Like a Black American kid in the deep south of the US and all your classmates are white, that's how it feels basically. As for the UK, I wouldn't need to learn another language, but UK just had a xenophobic riot in 2024, doesn't seem too friendly in my opinion. If the UK was in EU, I could just pack up and to go another EU country if Shit Hits the Fan, its what I like about the EU, options. But too bad UK isn't in EU...

There is also Singapore, which has like over 70% ethnic Chinese, and the official languages include English and Mandarin, which I already know.

Not technically "dream countries", but the most realistic countries that would be livable for me. Because I doubt I can speak Norweigian or Finnish. (Even tho I would love those countries)

TLDR: As a Chinese American, Canada as first choice, Australia as second place. Then probably Sinapore.

(Sorry if I'm rambling, can't express it coherently since ICE raids are on my mind)

Edit: I would probably also say Taiwan as an option, well... other than the fact that they are constantly on the verge of getting invaded, and I am not fond of the CCP.

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[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Canada if possible. My family only speaks English, but willing to "do the thing" to fit in even if that's learning a new language.

I'd also be ok with UK, Australia, New Zealand.

last places would be Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Japan. I know living in these places would be an extreme challenge for my family so that's why they're bottom of my list.

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago

Maybe Scotland. If they could fully separate from the dead weight down south.

I was trying to repatriate to Italy but they closed down the policy that would have let me return with my family.

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