Ireland has it’s own kinda-sorta-right-of-return, with:
*children of a parent who was born in Ireland being Irish citizens already, and
*those with a grandparent who was born in Ireland, or with a parent who was an Irish citizen not born in Ireland when they (the child) was born, being eligible to become citizens.
Now it’s somewhat more complicated than those broad strokes. More detailed explanation from the horse’s mouth. And this isn’t quite as useful as the Israeli Right of Return, as there are plenty of Americans descended from Irish immigrants but not as many of them whose Irish ancestor was as recent as a grandparent. But it also doesn’t require plunking down a suitcase of cash like some places.
I’m in the first group (both parents born in Ireland, in fact) and already have my Irish passport though I only visited Ireland once decades ago. I stupidly let my U.S. passport lapse during Covid; I’ve traveled since but strictly domestically. So my only valid passport right now is my Irish one. I’ve no intention of bugging out from the nation where I was born, but I’ve no intention of getting in a car accident either, and having an insurance policy is always a good thing.
(ETA: I used Malta as a “suitcase of cash” country before I realized they haggled over the price badly. )
It might be happening (maybe not Wyoming but the notion is the same):
From that article:
According to a new StorageCafe report, which studied those between the ages of 18-23, a whopping 20,703 young Americans migrated to the suburbs of South Dakota in 2021 and represented 16 percent of the state’s total move-ins. If you’re curious, the average home value here is $213,472, while the average rent clocks in at $1,096. North Dakota was the next most popular state among Gen Zers, with 15 percent of newcomers falling into the 18-23 range, while Idaho followed, also with 15 percent.
Iowa and Kansas rounded out the top five with Gen Zers, making up 14 percent of all newcomers, with Wisconsin, Utah, and Montana following suit. Nebraska, known for its vast prairies and spacious farmland, had its Gen Z population grow by 13 percent in 2021, and it was the same for Indiana, which just managed to crack the top 10.
People with means might only be here for long enough time to accrue health benefits, dodging the coldest weather. Perhaps 90% of those with Canadian citizenship in some countries have never set foot in the country.
I wouldn’t read too much into that. While Gen Z may be more liberal than the voting public at large, the Gen Zers who are ready and willing to move to suburban South Dakota are likely not representative of the cohort. For years, Texas Republicans have been sweating that the hordes of Californians moving here are turning the state blue. But some data shows that the transplants are more likely to vote Republican than native-born Texans.
Brilliant idea! California has an abundance of liberal-minded people, and no chance of tilting red any time soon - we can afford to send some of these pioneers out into the hinderlands. Pick a few key states, like what, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania, etc. How many new Democrats do those states need to tilt blue?
Of course, with the whole religious conservative thing they have going in some of these areas, with the high birthrate (compared to less religious and less conservative areas), they’ll probably be able to keep pace.
People move here (to Hawai’i, I mean) all the time, for obvious reasons. Personally I love it here and hardly a day goes by when I don’t say a silent “thank you” to the universe for where I live.
But, there are downsides. Housing is really tight, especially on O’ahu and Maui (not so bad on the Big Island, where I live), and it might be downright unethical to move to Maui now, given the aftermath of the wildfires. Health care is hard to come by, depending on your field it may be difficult to find a job, and the opportunities for world-class music and theatre are extremely limited. Cost of living is also often cited as an issue, though personally I think a lot of the high costs are counteracted by the things you don’t have to pay for - recreation is practically free, if you are the outdoorsy type; you don’t have a heating bill in winter; and dress is quite casual so no need to buy expensive business suits and the like.
And yes, we are a solid Democratic state! One of the first things they did after the Dobbs decision was pass legislation guaranteeing a right to abortion. “Abortion tourism” is welcomed, though obviously that’s of little help to poor folks on the continent.
Niagara Falls, Ontario is the closest Canadian city to me. It’s only about sixty miles - excuse me, I mean about one hundred kilometers - away and it would actually be a move south for me.
But if I lived there, I’d have to put up with all those damned American tourists.
I hope it’s not side track to ask if it wouldn’t be easier for an LGBTQ+ person to move to someplace like California or New York, rather than to another country?
All true, but that does not preclude normal immigration, under which as many as 40,000 American draft dodgers immigrated to Canada during the Vietnam war era.
Emigration from the United States continued to be unusually high while the United States was involved in the Vietnam War and maintained compulsory military service. In 1971 and 1972, Canada received more immigrants from the United States than from any other country.
Immigration policy has probably substantially changed since then.
Let’s say things get worse and some state like Florida decides that gay people can’t vote or own property or testify against straight people in court. Would a country that accepts oppressed people as political refugees agree to let oppressed gay Floridians in? Or would they say that those gay Floridians have the option of moving to another state like New York where they still have equal rights?
First, they would have to demonstrate that there is no legal recourse. For instance, lawsuits under the federal Constitution and federal civil rights statutes. Only if that option is exhausted without success would they be at least within the ballpark for refugee status.
As I understand it, a person claiming refugee status has to demonstrate “persecution”, or a reasonable likelihood of personal danger. “Persecution” is a higher standard than discrimination.
But, I don’t know much about this, so any potential refugees need to check out the application process for the Immigration and Refugee Board.
I’ve no intention of bugging out from the nation where I was born, but I’ve no intention of getting in a car accident either, and having an insurance policy is always a good thing.
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