Best country too move too that is very pro migration, for the long term ?
Posted by ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 52 comments
I am in my mid-ish thirties, and I run a niche precision engineering equipment company. I currently live in Germany where we have our main base but we have another factory in the North East of the US.
I am originally from the Balkans.
I have become rather bored of Germany and I am looking too relocate myself and in the long term part of the business too a new country.
The long term prospects in Germany scare me off with the political instability, declining birthrate, strangling of invotation of certain fields both by lack of funding and regulations, combined with the sad, simple and negative populist rethoric towards immigration.
Sadly this backwards attitude towards immigration seems too be infecting much of the world with its simplistic anti immigration attitudes.
Are there any devolped and promising nations with both positive attitudes towards immigration and immigration friendly government policy which will likely continue for the long term ?
Thank you
Sakurazukamori1@reddit
...there is no pro-immigration anymore...born too late for this
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Dubai is and always be.
konichiwaazzup@reddit
This aged well
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Nothing will change. When the dust settles it will once again be welcoming.
tadeup@reddit
Hmm, I feel like there are several LatAm countries that are, in fact, pro migration, no?
HVP2019@reddit
Depends. Some countries had many of their own people leaving to Western developed countries because historically there were better opportunities there.
In some Latin American countries there is huge resentment against immigrants from another Latin American countries, ( Venezuelan specifically).
If country has good opportunities, it it is stable it becomes attractive for a lot of immigrants, and this in turn leads to resentment from locals.
MildlySelassie@reddit
Yeah these are just wrong comments
XolieInc@reddit
It largely depends on what nation you’re immigrating from
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
There has too be an option.
Humble-Climate7956@reddit
wow yeah I feel your pain about the whole anti-immigration vibe thats going around. Getting into the EU legally can be a real headache especially with all the red tape. Imo have you looked into the Greece golden visa program? I know it sounds kinda bougie but I ended up going that route a few years ago. Basically you buy property and get residency. For me it was way less hassle than trying to navigate all the other immigration laws. plus having a place in Greece isnt exactly a bad thing lol. I used a service that specializes in this stuff they basically held my hand through the whole process - finding a suitable property all the legal paperwork everything. It was a lifesaver. Theyre pretty popular now so I think theres a bit of a wait list. If youre interested I can dm you a referral link? full disclosure: I get a small kickback if you use it but honestly the main reason Im suggesting it is because referrals get flagged for faster review so youd probably jump the queue a bit. They were super helpful for me even with all the hoops. Let me know if you want the link!
HVP2019@reddit
If you want to minimize your risks and if this is your number one priority then pick your own country.
There is a reason why so many immigrants go to few specific countries in extremely high numbers: those countries have been historically great countries in various aspects. The side affect of those high numbers is a push back from locals
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
My country is falling downhill
HVP2019@reddit
It’s it? So how would you describe situation on a country that currently has a war for example?
If you look for a problem country that will forever remain problem free you are delusional.
But you can find a country that is better and may remain better for some time in the future.
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
I never mentioned finding any problem free countries.
MikaelHansen@reddit
Having relocated from Denmark to Costa del Sol in Spain about three years ago, I can offer a perspective that might be useful here — though I want to be honest: truly "pro-migration" countries in the long-term structural sense are harder to find than the rhetoric suggests.
That said, based on my own experience and conversations with fellow expats across Europe and beyond, here are some thoughts:
**Spain — and Andalucía specifically** — has been remarkably welcoming in practice. The Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa (introduced in 2023), and the Golden Visa program show a government that is actively trying to attract foreign residents and entrepreneurs. The local culture in the South is genuinely warm and integrative — I've met Moroccans, British, Dutch, Scandinavians, and South Americans who have built real lives here over decades. The bureaucracy can be frustrating, but the underlying social attitude toward immigrants is positive. In a country with an aging population and declining rural areas, immigration is seen as economically necessary — and that sentiment tends to be durable.
**Portugal** often gets mentioned alongside Spain for similar reasons — NHR tax regime, D7 visa, active courting of remote workers and retirees. Lisbon and the Algarve are very international. The political consensus around welcoming immigrants has been stronger historically than in many EU peers, though recent elections have shifted things somewhat.
**Canada** remains structurally one of the most pro-immigration nations on earth — it's baked into national identity and economic policy. Points-based systems, Provincial Nominee Programs, and pathways to citizenship are well-established. The challenge is cost of living and housing, which has become severe in Toronto and Vancouver. But for a business owner with a niche engineering firm, the Atlantic provinces or smaller cities could be very viable.
**New Zealand and Australia** are also worth considering if you're open to that part of the world — skills-based immigration, stable political systems, and genuine cultural pluralism.
For someone running a precision engineering company with operations in both Europe and the US, I'd actually argue Spain (or Portugal) makes strong strategic sense: central timezone, EU market access, educated workforce, and — crucially — a political culture where immigration is not a hot-button wedge issue in the same way it has become in Germany, France, or the UK.
The key variable you flagged — long-term political stability on immigration — is hard to guarantee anywhere right now. But countries where immigration fills a structural economic need (aging population, labor shortages, depopulation of regions) tend to maintain pro-immigration policies regardless of which party is in power. Spain fits that profile well.
Happy to share more on the practicalities of relocating a business to southern Spain if that's of interest.
Beautiful-Wind5091@reddit
It sounds like you're on an exciting journey! Have you considered countries like Canada or New Zealand? They offer beautiful landscapes and a welcoming vibe for migrants, plus a focus on sustainability that might resonate with your passions.
Minimum-Virus1629@reddit
Why are you personally concerned about low birth rates?
lowresolution@reddit
I'm in Germany. The concern is mainly that they will tax the hell out of the working population to fund benefits for the older, and by the time we retire the system will be on the verge of collapse.
Minimum-Virus1629@reddit
So you want to go to a country where you don’t have to contribute to the overall welfare of the vulnerable? I’m not sure why you moved from your home country with this kind of attitude.
lowresolution@reddit
I'm not sure how you got that from my comments. The concern is just that it's not sustainable. Very few people aren't willing to contribute. There just isn't an answer for who will pay when it's their time as the elderly.
Minimum-Virus1629@reddit
Someone will pay. As has always been the case. People have been fear mongering about birth rates since the time of Malthus or whatever his name was. It’s usually the start of an extremist right wing shift if you find yourself concerned about other people’s reproduction.
Save your money, have a good pension plan and live within your means. You’ll be fine when the time comes. What happens after you’re dead is none of your business.
Oblachko_O@reddit
Well, tbh, it is a problem everywhere. If you think that you found which country doesn't have this problem, there is one of two possibilities:
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
Isn't it obvious ? Less people = less things can get done and no amount of automation....well not in our lifetime can solve that + drainage of talent due to worse immigration policies
Minimum-Virus1629@reddit
Why do we need to keep doing more things? Why do we act as if there wasn’t a time in the very recent past when population was low, decreasing even. Things will get uncomfortable yes but we will adapt somehow, as we have been adapting for the last 300,000yrs. It is not your job to fix or even worry about the number of new humans being produced at the baby making factory.
SweetAlyssumm@reddit
Unless governments wake up and understand that capitalism depends on growth, including a growing consumer base, it's on its last legs with no viable plan in sight. It's scary. Feudalism is the most likelly outcome and while the billionaires won't mind, most of us will.
Oblachko_O@reddit
But what can the government do? It is not like we have a solution to capitalism for now. The only "healthy" approach is to burst the capitalist bubble, but it is very hard to do when you don't have enough money.
SweetAlyssumm@reddit
That's my point although I'd like to see at least one government try. Every single government on earth along with all the international organizations are in favor of growth.
On a finite planet! We aren't reallly that dumb about math, we're just stupid about money and status and comfort.
Various-Pass-4120@reddit
Spain is pro immigration. They have made more visa options and recently legalized half a million undocumented residents. That said, the economy is rough - wages are low and unemployment is high. There are problems everywhere, you have to decide which you can live and which you cant. Birthrate is declining worldwide, not just in your country.
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
I am aware that currently, they are....but have they be3n so historically ? Also, will this they be pro immigration for the future
Oblachko_O@reddit
Nobody can answer this question for any country. On the other hand opening the country for all migration leads to... migration of the wrong people. You can put a racism card, but it is hard to deny that allowing easy access for people from poorer countries gives more benefits to the country as a whole. Both culturally and economically.
ChimpanzeeChamp34@reddit (OP)
I never said anything about opening the country to all migration.
Oblachko_O@reddit
You want the country to be open or pro-migration but at the same time be restrictive about it? That is a contradiction.
I'm not talking about illegal migration here, I'm talking about only legal cases. And somebody needs to work on low salary jobs.
Born-Jellyfish8420@reddit
What is this backwards attitude toward migration that you think you see? Pretty much every developed nation has, and historically had, a fairly strict approach to illegal immigration. The United States was an outlier. Most of these countries also have a fairly strict approach to unskilled economic immigration. Example NZ. You want to move there, you have to show you will be a net positive for the society. Legal immigration is not an issue. it may be harder, but it continues to be allowed. Many countries welcome legal economic immigration where the immigrant brings in needed skills, or capital by investing into that nation's economy.
Also, the answer to your questions is The United States. The US continues to be the nation with most and best opportunities for entrepreneurs.
lowresolution@reddit
Legal migration is also unpopular in Germany
_Derridak_@reddit
Is it though?
Dismal-Painter6057@reddit
Slovenia or Bosnia
def__eq__@reddit
And the land mines…
Tall_Country_5543@reddit
I am originally from the Balkans. Canada is a good option or Spain but personally wouldn't want to live in Canada.
Nearby_Challenge_704@reddit
Estonia loves people like you, and there are any benefits for nomads. but the weather..
AwkwardRent5758@reddit
We tend to see our own country always with a negative key, but keep in mind that the balcans are the future of the EU.
Efficient_Science_47@reddit
Is there really anywhere? The immigration debate rages on everywhere it seems. But to your benefit,, you have your own business, so won't need to deal with shitty employers.
Would you be doing business locally more? If you can remain on the fringes and appear successful, you just need to deal with the daily racists/xenophobes you find everywhere.
Perhaps set up a list of criteria to help you find a list of countries. I think what you listed is a little vague.
Think about culture, economic prosperity, level of development, weather, etc. it sounds like you potentially could easily get into a lot of countries if you shifted the business with you.
Big-Eagle@reddit
Take a look at Singapore.
_Derridak_@reddit
I made good experiences in Norway. But as a german I think I'm generally welcome here. And I speak Norwegian fluently. Thats mandatory.
Efficient_Science_47@reddit
Norway really isn't very pro migration. Perhaps currently in policy, but the rabid right wingers from frp and others are all up on arms. It's a very polarised debate.
And crucial to your point on Norwegian - also spot on. I'm a Norwegian who lived abroad most of my life. English now being my dominant language, I struggle on daily interactions with Norwegians. But haven't stepped foot in the country for a decade because I find it so draining.
Defiant-Dare1223@reddit
No it isn't. They have FMOP.
You make zero absolutely effort and there's nothing they can do about it.
DrunKeN-HaZe_e@reddit
A country that's pro-migration is already a goner, tbh. That's how US, Canada, EU etc have failed
Square_Positive_559@reddit
For EU immigration is necessary, how do you want to keep the system in place with : low birth and a population who is getting older and older ?
DrunKeN-HaZe_e@reddit
Pro-immigration is necessary, but quality, controlled ones. Not people crossing border, coming through boats illegally etc.. lmao
brokerlady@reddit
Lichtenstein
Defiant-Dare1223@reddit
Sadly impossible to get into
bruhbelacc@reddit
No country is pro migration because at the core, immigration brings cultural clashes and conflicts for resources. It doesn't even need to be a massive difference - people make jokes about accents of people from their own country.
sweeet-delusion@reddit
Maybe the balkans, Albania & Greece