As the Trump administration embarks on its second term, the United Kingdom has emerged as a haven for American celebrities and affluent Democrats seeking refuge from the political climate in the United States.
The British Home Office recently revealed that nearly 7,000 U.S. citizens applied for British citizenship or permanent residency in the year leading up to March, marking the highest number since records began in 2004. A significant portion of these applications, about one-third, were submitted after Trump's inauguration in 2025.
According to The New York Post, among the notable emigrants are supporters of Kamala Harris, including Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi. The couple, who were reportedly "very disillusioned" by Trump's victory, have relocated to the idyllic Cotswolds, selling their Montecito homes in the process. DeGeneres' recent Instagram posts, featuring her luxurious home and grounds, are captioned "English country life."
Rosie O'Donnell, another well-known comedian, has chosen Ireland as her new home, stating that she will only "consider coming back" to the U.S. when it is "safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America." Other celebrities contemplating a move to the UK include Barbra Streisand, who has publicly stated that she "can't live in this country if [Trump] becomes president," as well as Cher and America Ferrera. Lena Dunham, Ryan Gosling, and Eva Mendes have also traded the U.S. for London.
However, these high-profile progressives may be in for a surprise. The UK is not the liberal utopia they may have envisioned, despite its Labour prime minister. The Reform party, a populist group built around Brexit architect Nigel Farage, is gaining momentum in the polls. Farage, an anti-immigration figure with a cult-like following akin to Trump's, is a close friend of the president. The Reform party is far from a fringe group, with 40% of Brits believing Farage will be the next Prime Minister.
Trump's supporters remain unwavering, as the president himself once noted, he could shoot someone in Times Square and "not lose any voters." Farage, a potential future prime minister, inspires a similar level of devotion among his supporters. When a Reform candidate from Yorkshire, chosen to run for a seat in Parliament, was revealed to have made racially insensitive remarks, voters remained unfazed; he still secured second place.
Recent events have raised questions about whether those fleeing Trump's America for Britain fully comprehend the socio-political landscape they are entering. Last week, a car-ramming incident in Liverpool injured numerous people celebrating a soccer victory. Last summer, the murder of three little girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in the peaceful northern town of Southport by Axel Rudakubana, the son of Sudanese immigrants, led to mass riots and a surge of anger at the perceived cover-up of Islamist sympathies among Britain's unassimilated immigrants and asylum-seekers.
From a British perspective, the influx of wealthy and famous American Democrats has shed light on the ongoing debates about immigration. While it is rarely openly acknowledged, there is a distinction between 'Good Migrants' and 'Bad Migrants.' In 2024, 694 boats carrying 53 illegal immigrants each seeking asylum arrived on British shores, costing taxpayers 6 million a day on hotel bills alone. However, the arrival of 'Good Migrants' like DeGeneres, with her $18 million farmhouse, is warmly welcomed.
Echoing Trump's concept of a "gold card" for desirable immigrants, the UK's home secretary recently announced that Britain would be introducing "provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made." This move is expected to facilitate the arrival of more celebrities like DeGeneres, Mendes, and Dunham.
While the preference for an American celebrity over a trafficked Syrian is hardly surprising, and their arrival is certainly beneficial for the UK, these newcomers may soon realize that Britain is far from the liberal paradise they had envisioned. As such, their sojourn on this sceptred isle may be shorter than they initially anticipated.
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