Michael Sable is an American comedian and communications manager who moved from Washington DC to Dublin in 2016.
Sable, who used his experience as an American living in the Republic of Ireland for his monologues, says that when he arrived, many Irish people he met were surprised by his decision, but now they no longer give it importance.
“I’ve noticed that, over the years, people are less and less incredulous that an American has moved to Ireland,” he says.
Sable is one of many who have moved to Ireland from the United States. The most recent data shows the figure almost doubled from 4,900 to 9,600 between 2024 and 2025, surpassing the number of Irish heading the other way.
This coincides with the fact that the US registered more emigrants than immigrants last year, according to a report by the American think tank Brookings Institution. According to the report, this is the first time something like this has happened “in at least half a century.”
The think tank highlighted the “drastic changes in immigration policy” during President Trump’s second administration, including a greater number of deportations of undocumented foreign workers and the White House’s reforms of the US refugee reception program.
On the other hand, the Wall Avenue Journal states that more and more American citizens choose to emigrate abroad. The outlet estimated that “at least 180,000 Americans” will voluntarily leave the US in 2025, a figure that, according to the report, represents a historical record.
turning point
The change in the migratory flow between Ireland and the US marks a turning point in the shared history of both countries, which maintain deep-rooted ties.
For centuries, millions of Irish immigrated to the U.S. in search of work or a better life, making Irish-Americans one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. Several American presidents of Irish descent, such as John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden, visited Ireland more as a homecoming than a diplomatic mission.
Irish writer Colm Tóibín has frequently explored the relationship between Ireland and the US in his work, especially in his novels Brooklyn and Long Islandwhich tells the story of a young Irish woman who emigrates to the US in the 1950s.
Tóibín, who lives in the US, says that the relationship between both countries has changed. “The myth was created that the US was a place of great opportunity and wealth,” he explains. “In Irish culture there was a belief that if there were problems, you went to England; if there was ambition or passion, you went to the US.”
“The flow of young people [de Irlanda a EE.UU.] job seekers simply has not kept up. So this will be a big change in the future, because there will no longer be the same ease to connect Ireland with the US,” he adds.
This trend partly reflects political changes in both countries. In addition to becoming a high-tech, export-oriented knowledge economy, Ireland has undergone a social transformation in recent decades, moving from a deeply conservative society to a liberal and progressive nation, following referendums on divorce, abortion and gay marriage.
Tóibín, who was a leading “yes” supporter in the Irish referendum on same-sex marriage, says: “Everyone realized that Ireland was a more liberal, cosmopolitan and open society, and that it would be a good place to live.”
In contrast, the US has shifted to the political right under President Trump, who, since returning to office, has waged a major crackdown on illegal immigration.
Reasons to emigrate
Tóibín takes up the experience of Irish-American immigrants in his latest collection of stories, “The Dublin News.” In one of the stories, “Five Bridges,” the protagonist is an undocumented Irish immigrant who is preparing to leave the United States before the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) searches for him.
The number of Irish citizens deported from the US increased by more than 50% in 2025.
There are many Irish people in the US who meet all the legal requirements: they pay taxes, they have their own home, their children go to school, but they entered with a tourist visa,” says Tóibín. “If ICE found them, they would detain them. “That’s really scary.”
Expatsi, a company that helps American citizens move abroad, reported a substantial increase in human trafficking in the hours after President Trump’s election in 2024.
Expatsi co-founder Jen Barnett says that the reasons Americans give for emigrating are very diverse. Among the influencing factors are the political situation in the US, which has persisted for the last 10 years, the cost of living and security. Armed violence is very common, he says.
Politics was also a determining ingredient for Kevin Wozniak, an American professor living in Ireland. He and his husband left Boston in 2023 after he secured a position at Maynooth University, 23km west of Dublin.
“My motivation for seeking opportunities abroad was deep fears about the direction of the country under Donald Trump,” explains Wozniak. “Ireland has liberalized considerably and gone in a completely opposite direction to that of the US.”
Natalia Lange, a migrant support worker based in Crosshaven, Co Cork, moved there from Michigan with her husband following the 2024 US election.
Lange, of Hungarian descent and an EU passport holder, had dreamed of living in Ireland ever since she visited on a school trip. “Politically, Ireland is much more aligned with our way of thinking,” he says. “The US has the infrastructure to welcome many more people, but it is much less welcoming.”
Lauren Udoh, originally from Houston, Texas, moved to Claregalway, County Galway, in 2021 after marrying her Irish husband. Udoh, a mother of two young children, works as an executive assistant and documents her life as an expat on social media under the username TheGalwayGal.
“One of the biggest advantages is security. I feel much safer here,” she says. “With kids in school, there’s no need to worry about school shootings.”
Emigration from Ireland has decreased: 65,600 people left the country in the year ending April 2025, a decrease of 6% compared to 2024, according to the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO). For those who want to live abroad, Australia is the most fashionable destination.
The CSO said 13,500 people emigrated from Ireland to Australia in the year ending April 2025, the highest level since 2013. This figure more than doubles the estimated 6,100 people who emigrated from Ireland to the US, although it is still 22% higher than the previous year.
Restrictions around J1 visas, which allow Irish university students to work and travel in the US, have led many Irish students to reconsider their studies in the US.
Karen McHugh, CEO of Genuine Dwelling Ireland, an organization that supports Irish-born emigrants who wish to return to the country, says: “We have certainly noticed an increase in inquiries about return [de EE.UU. a Irlanda]Australia and Canada are two of the main destinations for Irish people, due to the ease of obtaining a visa.
Irish student Jamie McElhinney is currently undertaking a work placement in Portugal as part of his hospitality management course. McElhinney, who studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology, says current immigration controls discourage him from seeking internships in the US.
“I was thinking of going to Boston, but then the news about ICE started to emerge. It’s a deterrent to going there,” he says.
Housing crisis
While there are opportunities in Ireland, with an employment rate of 74.4%, there is also a growing housing crisis, with recent protests over a shortage of affordable housing.
Barnett says the housing shortage is an issue that concerns the Americans his company helps relocate, adding, “They don’t want to contribute to the housing crisis, so one of the things we recommend is that they avoid urban centers.”
Sable, whose Irish grandparents immigrated to the U.S. in 1939, is one of many Americans whose ancestors allowed them to obtain an Irish passport. Applications for Irish passports in the US increased by 10% in 2024, the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
Sable now calls Ireland home. “Culturally, I identify much more with the Irish,” he says. “It is a very collective society, not as individualistic as in the US.”
Bill Hillyard, another American with Irish roots, moved to Ireland for the cooler climate. He and his wife Anne left California after the 2019 wildfires. “My wife said we had to move somewhere where it would rain.” Now they run a pub called The Algiers in Baltimore, County Cork.
Hillyard says he now tries to stay out of the turbulent events in the U.S. “I was trying not to follow the news because now I’m here,” he says. “But I am reminded of it every day, because everyone asks me about Trump and what is happening there… At the moment I am West Cork’s ambassador to the US.”
*This article was published on BBC WorkLife. Click here to find the custom version in English.
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