Looking for an escape route, American dissidents?
Constitutional crisis isn’t your thing? Denmark is recruiting
As Trump turns his attention from Arctic conquest to tariffing the rest of the world, we can finally take a break from the Greenland drama and let the new Parliament get to work reforming its fishing quotas.
Just after the US election last November, I wrote about opportunities to move to Denmark for Americans who were disillusioned about their country’s future. Almost three months into Trump’s second term, the worst suspicions have proven optimistic, and the exodus is growing.
In a poll by Nature, 75 percent of scientists were considering leaving the US because of drastic cuts in research funding. When you can be accused of treason by the most powerful person in the world for saying that the 2020 election wasn’t stolen, it’s only prudent to consider precautions.
The first alternatives that come to mind for many people, naturally, are in the Anglosphere. Canada has seen a "Trump bump"—both illegal immigrants fleeing deportation and Americans renouncing citizenship in record numbers. But maybe it isn't far enough away if you might be repossessed as part of the "fifty-first state."
Celebrity dissidents like Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell have decamped to the British Isles, and Americans are applying for UK citizenship in record numbers. People are reclaiming European ancestry, including 31,000 who applied for Irish passports last year.
Affluent Americans are buying foreign residence permits or property as a hedge, even if they don’t plan to move yet. One relocation consultancy has gone from zero to ten US offices, and appointments at a Spanish agency spiked 300 percent after the election. US Green Card holders worried about their status are looking into opportunities in Europe, for example on the Reddit Amer/Exit channel, even though they expect to take salary cuts.
No active shooter drills
Americans haven’t discovered Denmark in large numbers. Of non-EU citizens, they ranked fifth in Danish residence permits in 2024, behind India, the UK, China, and Ukraine. But Trump may change that. The title of a Local article says it all: “’We had to get out': Americans who fled to Denmark to escape Trump.”
"We sold our cars, our house, packed up our kids and our 17-year-old dog and have never been happier."—Stefanie A. from California.
"My five-year-old was doing active shooter drills in school ... and it just was no longer tenable to stay in the US."—Lindsay N. from North Carolina.
"We can't imagine moving back or really even visiting while Trump is president."—Robert G. from Philadelphia.
Common themes in the emigrants’ motivations include the usual practical advantages: universal healthcare, free university, child safety, and work-life balance. Besides high living standards, Denmark offers an alternative to American political turbulence and polarization—a model of functional democracy, civic and institutional stability, and social cohesion.
Meanwhile, inbound US traffic is plummeting. With reports of tourists being detained at the border and foreign residents being held without due process, Europeans and others are dropping plans to visit America. The Danish Foreign Ministry just issued a travel advisory for people heading there: If you have an X in the Sex field on your passport or have changed genders, you should check with the US Embassy before entering the country.
Help wanted
Denmark has a labor shortage and is taking steps to remedy it. Copenhagen Municipality actively recruits well-educated expats, and the Copenhagen Capacity business networking organization has a campaign to attract foreign researchers. The government recently announced a new plan to remove bureaucratic obstacles and make it easier for companies to hire foreign workers.
“It’s hard to underestimate how much [foreign labour] means for Danish businesses at the moment.”—Tore Stramer of the Danish Chamber of Commerce.
“We are in severe need of qualified labour in our health system.”—Health and Interior Minister Sophie Løhde.
The booming green technology sector is also recruiting foreign talent. In the first half of 2024, internationals made a record contribution to Denmark’s GDP, many of them at tech startups in Copenhagen, which have grown 40 percent in the past two years.
Last week, Danish researchers took a proactive approach, proposing an emergency program to offer appointments to American academics who are affected by cutbacks and a repressive atmosphere from Trump’s and Musk’s initiatives. According to the organizer, Maria Toft, “It's not just digital book burning…. [R]esearchers are actually fearing for their lives and are being subjected to quite intense harassment.”
English rules, Danish can wait
One big advantage is that Danish fluency isn’t necessary. While Copenhagen offers free language courses, almost all Danes under the age of 80 speak English and are quick to demonstrate it by interrupting anyone struggling in Danish. English suffices in many professional contexts. The jobs available to non-Danish speakers cover a wide range.
Much of the tech, pharma, and financial sectors operates in English, as do international corporations like Novo Nordisk and Lego and many NGOs, including several polyglot agencies at UN City. Even in commerce—skilled trades, technical fields, hospitality, international retail brands, and airport operations—English often serves as the lingua franca. The Jobs in English website currently lists more than 1,000 openings.
The expat happiness conundrum
I admit that I ended that earlier post on a somewhat glib note by cautioning that most emigres leave within five years. While Denmark was just ranked No. 2 again in the World Happiness Survey and ranks first in Quality of Life on the Which Country to Move to website, it’s true that the country has difficulty retaining internationals and gets low or mediocre ratings in expat surveys. That matches its standing in the mood-based international comparisons. I wrote about expat integration issues a couple of years ago.
Denmark scores high in “life satisfaction” rather than in day-to-day emotional happiness, or “positive affect.” A preference for stability and security over excitement and spontaneity can be challenging for Americans used to a more dynamic, emotionally expressive society. Many foreign residents report difficulties building deep social connections when confronted by the famous "Danish reserve" and cultural differences in socializing, besides the long, dark winters that can limit activity and affect mental health.
But the Life Quality “guaranteed” by Greater Copenhagen isn’t just hype, even if you don’t attain full immersion in native hygge. The social contract is intact: transparent government, trust in institutions, low corruption, low crime, robust political debate without demonization, and effective protections for consumers, workers, LGBTQ+ people, and the environment. If Americans are bothered by social division and disintegration, the security/elation tradeoff could be appealing.
Support network
Various organizations and services help expats settle in, integrate, and cultivate their community. There are many relocation services, online guides such as International House Copenhagen, and networking groups such as Fair og Fornuftig (Fair and Sensible), which addresses practical and social issues particularly for students and trailing spouses.
Internations is a global expat community that sponsors interest groups and social events, and many local expat Facebook groups share tips on residence permits, job-hunting, housing, and social activities. Dovento is a new networking app for expats that facilitates informal micro-events, and Lingua Danica offers an innovative approach to language learning with online courses and engaging social media content. It’s possible to adapt to Danish culture while developing a mixed social circle of both expats and Danes.1
Making the leap
Although leaving your home country because of political concerns is never easy, Denmark offers an attractive alternative for Americans who feel alienated by domestic political developments. Its combination of democratic stability, social security, and quality of life might provide not only a refuge but also a preferable model of civic life—one that favors consensus and collective well-being over individual gain and political drama.
Immigration from non-Western countries in the Middle East and North Africa is another story, which I have covered earlier and will return to.