Global Affairs

Discover how politics, climate migration, and shifting policies influence Americans leaving the U.S. Timely coverage with global impact.

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Ageing rich countries need foreign talent and labour as never before, even as they tighten borders and narrow the pathways open to students and skilled workers. A System Pulled in Two Directions The global migration system is being pulled in two opposing directions: a growing economic dependence on foreign workers and students, and a political […]

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As Washington widens its blacklist, nations from West Africa to the wider Global South are slamming the door on U.S. passport holders, signaling a new age of reciprocal restrictions and shrinking mobility. For decades, American travelers have been used to breezing past immigration desks, their blue passports opening doors in most corners of the world. […]

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As anxious Americans hunt for escape routes and tax breaks, a booming second-citizenship industry is turning ancestry, fast-track residencies, and million‑dollar “golden visas” into the most coveted insurance policy money can buy.​ Why Second Passports Are Suddenly Hot For a certain set of affluent Americans, a second passport has become less of a vanity accessory […]

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Across kitchen tables and group chats, a quiet question is surfacing among American women: What if we just left? It’s not a fantasy of palm trees or European cafés—it’s a question born out of fear and fatigue. A recent Gallup poll found that 40 percent of U.S. women aged 15 to 44 want to move abroad permanently, double […]

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Summary:A Financial Times article published on March 24, 2025, reports a notable surge in wealthy Americans transferring assets to Switzerland in response to rising uncertainty around the potential return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. Private banks, wealth managers, and family offices in Switzerland are seeing increased demand from U.S. clients seeking to diversify […]

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Summary: Newly released figures from France’s national statistics agency, Insee, show that approximately 25% of U.S.-born residents living in France reside in Paris — France’s largest city, and home to some 2.1 million inhabitants. A February 20, 2025, article from The Connexion provides insights into the distribution of Americans across France and explores factors behind their settlement patterns. […]

Summary:A New York Times article published on July 6, 2024, explores the growing influx of Americans into Mexico City, where U.S. citizens are increasingly drawn by culture, affordability, lifestyle, and remote work flexibility. The piece focuses on how everyday Mexican life—particularly its food, music, and social energy—is being experienced, and in some cases reinterpreted, by […]

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Summary: A recent CNN article highlights several countries as top destinations for American expatriates in 2025, based on various factors including quality of life, ease of settling in, and cultural attractions. Key insights include:​ ·   Mexico: Offers a rich cultural heritage, favorable climate, and proximity to the United States, making it a popular choice […]

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From tougher financial thresholds to doubled government fees and stricter on-the-ground checks, Mexico’s once-accessible residency path is entering a new, more selective era in 2026.​ A new era for residency Mexico’s lawmakers have ushered in 2026 with reforms that make it both more difficult and more expensive for foreigners to obtain or renew legal residency. […]

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Despite Switzerland’s strong economy and high wages, a majority of European immigrants leave within a few years—citing the country’s steep living costs, social barriers, and job market rigidity. For decades, Switzerland has drawn European workers seeking stable jobs, financial security, and the picturesque promise of Alpine life. Yet official data reveal a striking pattern: most […]

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Governments do not simply sort people into citizens and foreigners; they manage a layered hierarchy of settlement rights that determines who may enter, who may stay, who may belong—and on what terms. The invisible hierarchy of “who may stay” Modern states operate less like gatekeepers of a simple border and more like managers of a […]

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A sharp fall in skilled worker and health visas, combined with surging emigration among under‑45s, is testing Rachel Reeves’ fiscal plans and stoking fears of a looming labour and tax base crunch. Visa rules tighten, applications collapse Skilled worker visa applications have dropped to 2,500 in December, down from a peak of 10,100 in April […]

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Judges scrapped four key nationality provisions and an attached penal rule but upheld the 10-year naturalization timeline, deepening uncertainty for Golden Visa holders and thousands stuck in AIMA backlogs. Portugal’s Constitutional Court has struck down four controversial provisions of the country’s revised nationality law while preserving a 10-year naturalization horizon for most non‑EU, non‑CPLP applicants, […]

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With NZD 5–10 million investment tracks, ultra-light residency requirements, and curated growth-focused funds, New Zealand’s overhauled investor visa is rapidly drawing high-net-worth families seeking both security and opportunity. A new NZD 5–10 million gateway New Zealand’s AIP Visa, launched in 2025, replaces the old investor visa categories with a streamlined residency-by-investment regime aimed squarely at […]

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As someone who works every day with Americans reclaiming Luxembourgish citizenship, the instinct is to bring context and calibration to this debate rather than alarm. Senator Bernie Moreno’s Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 is a serious and far‑reaching proposal, but it is one bill at an early stage in a long legislative process, and it […]

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An article published on December 8, 2025 by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian in The New Yorker highlights a quiet but growing exodus of Americans who are no longer content to joke about leaving the United States—they are actively doing the paperwork, booking the flights, and starting over abroad. Their stories trace a reversal of an old […]

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