The news agency cited Jen Barnett, the founder of Expatsi, a company that helps Americans figure out how they can realistically leave the country, as saying that demand for their services shot up 900% after the debate between then-presidential contenders Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Barnett said that an Expatsi poll showed in October that 7,000 US nationals were interested in emigrating. The political schism in the United States was among the top reasons for wanting to leave, second only to "adventure and personal growth," the expert added.
Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing director at Henley & Partners, said that the total number of inquires from the US had risen by 500% since 2020 and that the first 10 months of 2024 saw more demand than all of 2023.
Global Citizen Solutions co-founder Artur Saraiva emphasized that the presidential election played a major role in Americans' decision to leave. Bloomberg reported that many US citizens were looking into residency-by-investment programs, with the most popular destinations being Antigua and Barbuda, Portugal, Malta, Greece and Spain.
The US presidential election will be held on November 5. Incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and Donald Trump, a Republican, are running for the country's top job.