“I’m embarrassed when people ask me where I’m from.” There are many Americans who have left the country for Europe. It is the case of Lia Littlewood38-year-old artist and Isacc Russella hotelier of 50. According to themselves, they tell the Dutch newspaper ADjust four months ago they changed Yuma (Arizona, USA) for Amsterdam (Netherlands).
“This is a permanent change,” says Russel in conversation with the media. “We once believed in American ideals. Now I am embarrassed when people ask me where I come from,” he says with determination. They are part of the thousands of Americans who have decided to emigrate to Europe for disagreeing with
According to data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), consulted by the Dutch newspaper, in 2025, 7,310 visa applications were received from Americans in the Netherlands alone. “It is the highest figure in ten years”: In 2024 there were 6,280 applications, the previous year 6,650. In fact, More than 9,000 Americans live in Amsterdam alone.
“A kind of domino effect.”
Bethany Quinn He is 40 years old and is the co-founder of an agency that helps Americans immigrate. “It’s a kind of domino effect,” he says, also in conversation with the media. “For some, the limit was reached when Trump enacted dozens of executive orders in his first hours and restricted the rights of non-binary people.”
“Since the events in Venezuela and the deaths of and [que fueron asesinados por agentes de la policía migratoria de ICE y la policía fronteriza]. We are seeing a large increase in transfers. Now they also realize that they are not safe.”assures the entrepreneur.
“My trans friends began to fear for their safety”
“I am not transsexual. But my friends who are, began to fear for their safety,” he says. Tad Hopp41 years old, who moved from San Francisco (California, USA) to Amsterdam three months ago. For some time she had seen the In September 2024, she married her husband, and Six months later Trump began the attack against trans people.
In recent months, Hopp has released a podcast and also has a business as a “sober coach”: he guides people who, of course, try not to read American news. He lives in Amsterdam so “not to deal with it all the time,” he says. “I have friends in Minnesota and my heart breaks when I think about them. I’m worried, also for my husband.” The latter, he concludes, stayed at home for the moment.
