Some information about “maybe leaving US” folks.

Posted by Ok-Building-2490@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 40 comments

skip to “in this video” or third paragraph for the immediate shared information.

So I tried to post this once, however I included a link. I read in the rules they did not allow blog/vlog/article links, however I guess I didn’t pick up on the fact that they meant links and not specific ones. Autism +1.

Anywho. The video I was linking you can find on instagram. Account is @howtotoppletyrants, the video has 1.1M views currently, the thumbnail consists of a blonde, straight-medium length haired white female-presenting person in a very faded wine-red colored sweater, the caption in white text and a black text background stating “if Donald Trump wants to hurt you please watch this video and share with others”. It is 1:53 long with a current standing of 147K likes, approximately 3,000 comments, ~20K reposts, and 46K shares. The caption starts with: “something pretty cool happened in the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday 23rd September…”

in this video, a person talks about how a specific creator is working with the Dutch government/The Netherlands to take the US off of their "safe country list". What this means is that when US folks are seeking refuge in other countries, supposedly (do more of your own research as well, please), US folks are seen as in less need of help from what I generally understand. What this person and now also this organization is trying to do is help former + future former US residents leave the country with more resources and support available. It is called "Help Me Leave". Work has already been done, and some more work is yet to be finished. But it is a start. I hope this can be helpful to those trying to gather information I guess about leaving the US in general. I strive to not post or spread misinformation so do please correct me if I have gotten anything incorrect or misleading. Thank you.

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Pale-Candidate8860@reddit

I think a lot of Americans saw what Ukrainians went thru and thought, "They got to choose whatever country they wanted to live in. I want to be in the same position. I deserve to seek asylum."

Not realizing most had zero options and were put into lottery systems. Plus go thru the mental damage of your home country falling to pieces and people you love dying. Doesn't sound very fun to me.

Also, America would have to eliminate many trillions of dollars from their economy to lower its standing. I don't see any of that happening. Sorry it isn't easy to immigrate to another country.

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Daidrion@reddit

Not realizing most had zero options and were put into lottery systems.

That's not the case, though. They could chose where to go. Source: have a lot of Ukrainian friends, whose families moved.

I deserve to seek asylum.

But whenever I hear this from an American, I cringe. Like, being a US citizen gives you so many options.

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bigopossums@reddit

As an American who has worked in the humanitarian sector it always blows my mind to see Americans claiming they need to apply for asylum somewhere. Honestly knowing what a humanitarian crisis actually looks like, it disgusts me and it’s often a very privileged take from someone who doesn’t understand the conditions of being a refugee.

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No-Theme-4347@reddit

I kindly invite them to stay a month in a German refugee center. When I was there as a medical person in 2015 I was honestly shocked at how bad it was

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bigopossums@reddit

I live in Berlin and there is a large refugee camp in the old airport here. It is absolutely awful and it doesn't help that it is managed by an events management firm. People live in absolutely cramped conditions, hygiene is not great, staff are not great, there are tensions and fights (understandably.) What's worse is that the people there want to get out, they want to work, many are qualified as medical professionals, trades people, etc. at home but they are stuck in bureaucracy. This effectively makes them stuck in the camp and I can't even imagine the frustration of that.

And to think someone who lives in the suburbs with a yard, their own car, a highly paid remote job, and the ability to go to a multitude of stores and have so many options of food and clothing thinks they are the same as someone who has gone days without eating, has had to hide from strikes, and has had to walk around dead bodies in the street really makes my blood boil. We see it on this sub all the time, the white liberal with a good job who thinks they need to be a refugee because Trump is the boogeyman, meanwhile the immigrant mom who makes their food or cleans their office continues to show up everyday because she has no other choice.

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LegitimateVirus3@reddit

You demonstrate faith in the dollar.

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Pale-Candidate8860@reddit

Understanding reality. The US alone makes up 26% of the entire world's economy despite making up only 6% of the world's population.

carltanzler@reddit

Higly unlikely to have any successful results. First, NL is without a government now- the previous one 'fell'. Elections end of october. Right wing with strong anti immigration sentiments is expected to score big once again. They're not big on transgender folk either, and definitely have sympathy for at least some of Trumps policies.

Even if US citizens in some circumstances were to become eligible for asylum, I hope people think long and hard about how they feel about having to live in asylum seeker shelters with multiple occupants per room, sometimes such a shortage that people have to camp outside mid winter, violent outbursts now and then, and occupants from very conservative cultures that don't respond well to LGBT+ folks. I hope this video doesn't result in an influx of people with deluded ideas about how things are in NL for asylum seekers.

deedeeEightyThree@reddit

This is all very valid. One question, though, do you have any data to back up your claim re: transgender sentiment? I haven't witnessed any anti trans behavior or sentiment, but of course my anecdotal experience is very limited. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just wasn't aware of that. I did read recently that the Dutch youth are less supportive of LGTBQ in general. As a gay woman who is married with two kids, though, literally no one cares that I'm gay and it's been such a relief. It's treated as any other boring personal detail like having brown hair. Gay /= trans, though, and I do realize that some people have different feelings about gay women vs gay men vs trans individuals. And I am very aware that there is a bible belt here where folks tend to be more conservative.

prettytheft@reddit

Trans isn't real. Gay is real.

expats-ModTeam@reddit

Be nice to each other. Uncivil conduct, ad hominem attacks, etc. will result in up to 3 warnings and then a temporary ban. Violent, racist, homophobic, sexist, or generally bigoted attacks and content will be dealt with immediately with a ban of a week or more.

https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2024/50/1-op-10-lhbtqia-personen-slachtoffer-van-geweld

Thank you!

JellySaurus97@reddit

They are talking about immigrants from Middle eastern countries, not the Dutch

FWIW I'm married to a Dutch woman and even as someone married to a Dutch citizen, the path to residency and/or citizenship has been very difficult by design. I'm afraid people may get the idea that it's simple or easy and at this moment it's simply not - and there are changes being made to make it more difficult. The housing crisis is very real.

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DutchieinUS@reddit

So does this mean we’ll get US Citizens claiming asylum in the NL now???

senador@reddit

There have been US asylum seekers in Ireland already even before the current president.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0903/1531645-us-asylum-applications/

Man, imagine thinking you have a chance versus someone from Somalia. I am pretty sure anyone from Nigeria, Pakistan and Jordan will be rejected too. Not a good country doesn't not mean you get asylum. Collapsed/at-war nation means you do.

ScoutTheRabbit@reddit

Living in DK

Have a friend from London who worked with an American asylee for being nonbinary, so ig it happens. Maybe they were hate crimed or something

T0_R3@reddit

31 US asylum seekers in Norway this year, even with this stance from the authorities.

I would love to see the face of them when they come back on the plane and a friendly TSA agent with no ill intentions says, "Welcome Home."

MegaMiles08@reddit

There's nowhere to even live in the NL. There's a horrible housing crisis and not enough apartments for the people already in the NL.

B_P_G@reddit

Sounds like the US. And we've still got asylum seekers.

RIPmyfirstaccount@reddit

Incomparable

No perspective.

America has an insane amount of housing versus a majority of countries.

Shoddy_Wrongdoer_559@reddit

um yes there are three dozen of us or so. i’ve been here six months.

You claimed asylum here? So are you in a COA location?

yep i live in the emergency shelter at ter apel.

blissfully_happy@reddit

Out of curiosity, what are you claiming asylum from? Like economic or a persecuted group?

hi, here’s some of the press, mostly there’s been a bit of press in dutch but english sources are starting to pick it up, especially as our cases progress.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-transgender-laws-asylum-persecution-canada-b2832107.html

Are you an American? I hope not. Making my entire nationality look bad.

What do you do when they deport you? You know you'll be barred from several other countries as a result? Instead of doing the hard work to actually immigrate the correct way, you claimed asylum?

You could've gone to Southeast Asia and taught English with housing and salary provided.

Tardislass@reddit

They can try but it’s not going to happen. Trade talks, EU and a right wing NL government…The EU is going to keep fluffing Trump.

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Chucking100s@reddit

This is fantastic news.

Intrepid-Editor3123@reddit

This seems like a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation. Like, a quite concerted effort.

Yeah, with Dutch elections right around the corner this kind of rumor would certainly fan the flames of the anti immigration sentiment currently smoldering in NL and give the already popular right wing candidates a boost. I smell BS and/or Russian propaganda. The NL is currently in the process of changing naturalization rules so that the process takes ten years, not five. They're actively reducing immigration. Unless things drastically change in the US for the extreme worst, do not believe for a second that this is happening. And maybe not even then.

Beginning-North7202@reddit

How to topple tyrants chick is amazing. Tireless and taking active steps to help others. Find her on Insta.

I will believe it when I see it. Use your best judgment and don’t believe everything on social media-especially with AI.