Those Americans who chose to immigrate to New Zealand

Between June 2022 and June 2023 alone, nearly 6,000 US citizens decided to immigrate to New Zealand, according to Statistics New Zealand. The Pacific island has attracted more and more Americans since Donald Trump's electoral victory in 2016. Notes New York times. The 2020 presidential election, which saw the outgoing president challenge Joe Biden's victory and increase inflammatory rhetoric, has increased the Pacific island's appeal to those seeking to escape political tensions.

“In 2020, the question 'how to move to New Zealand' was trending in Google searches. With a new US election looming, those who made the decision say they have few regrets. He writes journal.

“This may be a funny example, but the public toilets here are not a nightmare and the soap dispenser actually works.” explains Lucy Schultz, a 31-year-old photographer who has settled with her husband in Hamilton, a small town about a hundred kilometers south of Auckland.

And in 2022, they both feel it “America was at rock bottom.” A few weeks' stay in the Pacific, during a professional cruise, convinced them to take the plunge. Since then, Lucy Schultz has been passionate about the kindness of New Zealanders and the familiarity of New Zealand. “New Zealanders look after each other.”

“All this weighed me down”

Sophie Zavaleta, 27, who came in 2020 on a study trip, intended to stay for two months, but was forced to change her plans due to the pandemic. “I quickly fell in love with this country.” Now a teacher in Auckland, she finds her job much less stressful than the one she could have had in the United States.

As the next elections in the United States approach, she says she is happy that she no longer lives in America. “I won't have to deal with all the hysteria that's going to break out there, I know that.” She adds that life in New Zealand still has some drawbacks. Cost of living in particular. “The cost of food and accommodation is much higher than the cost of returning home.”

Todd Henry, for his part, has been based in New Zealand for more than a decade. It emphasizes the positive state of mind of New Zealanders, which contrasts sharply with the atmosphere prevailing in the United States. “The whole thing weighed on me. From here, this kind of thing seems very strange. trust.

The recent legislative elections in New Zealand, which last year saw the conservative National Party win over the Labor Party led by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, still raise concerns for Todd Henry. “Unfortunately, in some ways New Zealand is moving in the same direction as the United States. But we are not at the same point yet,” he added.