Some ‘fearful' Americans consider moving to Europe

When US President Donald Trump decided to seek a second term in the White House, a couple living in New York City made a life-changing decision.

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If he won, they would move abroad. The couple said they had been willing to give Trump a go during his first term, but they'd watched in alarm as he returned to office and ended a range of policies aimed at promoting racial equity.

"We love this country, but we don't love what it has become," Davis, a 69-year-old educational consultant, said from their home in a New York City suburb. "When your identity is being attacked, there is a personal sense of... anger (and) frustration."

Now, they're working with an immigration lawyer to assess options in Europe. The couple are most interested in Portugal and Spain, attracted by the southern European lifestyle, and are looking at a digital nomad or retirement visa.

"It saddens me to move," said Davis, who'll be sorry to leave her local community behind. "But it's also a situation, politically and socially, that is unacceptable."

Government visa and citizenship data, as well as Reuters' interviews with eight relocation firms, indicate an increased number of Americans are considering moving to Europe in the wake of Trump's election - though the figures remain quite small for a nation of 340 million people.