A flood of Americans are seeking to become citizens of Ireland following Donald Trump‘s presidential victory – with a record number of people applying for passports the month he was elected.
‘With the things that are going on in the US right now with the new administration, it’s scary and I thought [a passport] would be smart to have just in case,’ Erin Clayton, an applicant living in New Hampshire, told RTE News.
Irish law allows US citizens to apply for citizenship through descent, if those seeking passports are able to prove that a grandparent was born in the European country.
There were a whopping 3,692 applications made from the US in November alone – the highest number seen in a single calendar month in ten years, RTE News reported.
‘I’d rather have it and not need it, than not have pursued it,’ Clayton added. ‘I’m the daughter of an immigrant… I am not who they’re targeting right now, but what does that mean? So, I just would rather be safe.
‘Having the Irish passport would give me more freedom if I had to leave long term.’
Although Americans account for just 3.2 percent of all Irish passport applications, the number has only continued to increase in recent years, according to the outlet.
In 2024, 31,825 Americans applied for an Irish passport – nearly a 10 percent increase from 2023.
In 2024, 31,825 Americans applied for an Irish passport – nearly a 10 percent increase from 2023
Irish law allows US citizens to apply for citizenship through descent, if those seeking passports are able to prove that a grandparent was born there
Erin Clayton, an applicant living in New Hampshire, told RTE News: ‘With the things that are going on in the US right now with the new administration, it’s scary and I thought it would be smart to have just in case’
Ireland saw the record number of applications from Americans in November, when Trump became the first candidate in more than 130 years to win a non-consecutive second term in the White House.
Martina Curtin, the President of the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston, told RTE News that despite the election results, there are several other reasons why so many Americans chose to apply.
‘Some of it is just their deep affinity to Ireland. You cannot underestimate that,’ Curtin said. ‘Other people, it’s just for practical reasons, they see the value of having that Irish passport.’
‘It’s a gateway to the EU… it’s for economic reasons, for instance, they may want to be able to attend a university in Ireland,’ she added.
‘Third level education is much less expensive in Ireland compared to the United States.’
Those who hold an Irish passport have the right to live and work throughout the entirety of the European Union.
Curtin said that the process to apply for Irish citizenship has become increasingly easier due to the ability to apply online and access digital records.
The heightening numbers come after 78-year-old Trump pulled off a remarkable victory during the presidential election against Kamala Harris as he swept key swing states.
There were a whopping 3,692 applications made from the US in November alone – the highest number seen in a single calendar month in ten years
Those who hold an Irish passport have the right to live and work throughout the entirety of the European Union
Although Americans account for just 3.2 percent of all Irish passport applications, the number continued to only increase in recent years
‘Having the Irish passport would give me more freedom if I had to leave long term,’ Erin Clayton told RTE News
Online searches for how to leave the United States surged after the win, with Google Trends finding a significant rise in searches related to ‘leaving the country’ and ‘how to move.’
Most notably, searches for ‘move to Canada’ surged by 68 percent in the weeks before and after the 2024 election results, the Irish Star reported.
The United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and Italy rounded out the top five.
Americans seeking a pathway to Canadian citizenship has only grown with Trump back in the Oval Office as he readies his global tariffs – increasing the urgency for thousands to flee the States.
Now that residents are staring down possible price jumps at gas pumps and at the grocery store, immigration lawyers in both the US and Canada are hearing from more people who want to leave their life in the states for good.
Evan Green, a managing partner at Green and Spiegel law firm in Toronto, told Spectrum News that after Trump’s win, he’s gotten triple the number of calls from Americans looking to come to Canada.
‘What we’re in right now is a period of heightened uncertainty,’ Green said. ‘People know what’s coming, and because of that, they’re far more motivated to move.’
Zach Ahlstrom, a senior attorney for Berardi Immigration Law in Buffalo, New York, also said Trump’s win is the main factor in Americans wanting to flee the country.
‘During the Biden administration, we probably got maybe one or two calls a month,’ Ahlstrom told Spectrum News. ‘Since the new administration has come into office, we’ve probably had maybe one to two a week.’
Green said the people who call into his law firm fall into four different categories, three of which tell him they believe they are vulnerable to Trump specifically.
Americans seeking a pathway to Canadian citizenship has only grown with Trump back in the Oval Office as he readies his global tariffs – increasing the urgency for thousands to flee the states
Now that residents are staring down possible price jumps at gas pumps and at the grocery store, immigration lawyers in both the US and Canada are hearing from more people who want to leave their life in the states for good
Google searches for ‘move to Canada’ surged by 68 percent in the weeks before and after the 2024 election results
Left-wing celebrities have also traded their life of glitz and glamour in Los Angeles for a new one overseas as Trump vowed to Make America Great Again.
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi put their California mansion up for sale after the election results came in and kickstarted their ‘retirement’ in the UK, with sources alleging the ‘US doesn’t like her because of her sexual preferences.’
Several other American stars, including America Ferrera and Barbra Streisand, have also said they are considering taking up residency in the UK after Trump’s win.
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling were already living in the UK and are now planning to stay put, a sentiment echoed by British-American actress Minnie Driver, who returned to London after nearly three decades living in Los Angeles.
Sophie Turner also returned to her native UK last year after realizing she had to ‘get the f**k out’ of America due to gun violence and the overturning of Roe v Wade.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .