OTTAWA: A record number of Americans sought UK citizenship in 2024, with applications peaking after President Trump’s reelection. Over 6,100 Americans applied, marking the highest total since 2004, when fewer than 3,000 applied.
In 2023, fewer than 5,000 Americans submitted applications, showing a sharp increase in 2024. The final quarter of 2024 saw an unprecedented 1,700 applications, the most in any three-month period over two decades.
Historical Comparison
his surge mirrors 2020, when over 5,800 Americans renounced citizenship following Trump’s first term and new tax policies. Experts believe most were long-term US expatriates in the UK.
Trump himself qualifies for UK citizenship through his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, a Scottish immigrant who moved to the US at 17 in 1930.
European Shift
The Brexit aftermath saw Britons seeking Irish passports, doubling their applications to maintain EU work and travel rights. Meanwhile, Trump’s reelection fueled American interest in European relocation options.
A Sardinian village launched a website for discontented Americans, advertising affordable homes and a better lifestyle. The website asks, “Worn out by global politics? Ready for a European escape?”
