The Canadian province of Manitoba has a low population density
Google Trends data shows that on June 24 (the day after the referendum), the popularity of the query "move to Canada" increased by 230%, especially among residents of London and Cardiff. In Southampton (a city in southern England), New Zealand became the most popular option, while residents across the UK were actively interested in moving to Australia and the United States.
New Zealand Immigration reported that within three days after the British referendum, its website received over 5,500 daily visits from UK residents, though the usual daily number is 2,000. As for the Canadian immigration website, on referendum day it was visited by 27,500 people from the UK, and the next day by 61,400 people. In Ireland, the number of passport applications also increased; many Britons tried to find a way to maintain ties with the EU.
Those who feel similarly may be surprised to learn that there are several large and small cities around the world actively attracting new residents. Some of them offer attractive conditions for building a new life in a new country.
For example, the tiny New Zealand town of Kaitangata recently made headlines worldwide for its unusual problem. It turned out that not only does it have many job vacancies and cheap housing, but also not enough people to take advantage of them.
In June, the mayor's office was literally flooded with letters after the media erroneously claimed that the Clutha District Council pays $160,000 just for moving to this town. To stop the endless flow of inquiries, the council issued a statement refuting these rumors.
The rural settlement, home to only 800 people, is located 80 km southwest of the nearest city, Dunedin. Emigrants who decide to move here are not paid a six-figure sum, but families are offered a favorable deal: buy a house with land for just 230,000 New Zealand dollars ($165,000). In addition, the Clutha District has over a thousand vacancies in various sectors, from agriculture to healthcare and construction.
But before booking a one-way ticket, keep in mind: it is hard to imagine a place more remote from the UK than Kaitangata. The flight from London to Dunedin takes 30 hours. Moreover, for those accustomed to the hustle and bustle of a big city, the pace of life on the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island may feel very unfamiliar.
If you have certain professional skills, emigrating to where they are in demand can be much easier. For example, the Australian state of Tasmania is currently inviting British dairy farmers to move there on a skilled worker visa. The industry association DairyTas reports that the state has many fully equipped dairy farms for sale at prices about 50% lower than similar farms in the UK.
However, Tasmania, like Kaitangata, is very far from Europe, and the flight takes 24 hours. Additionally, British farmers are offered to live on an island with much more extreme conditions than those they are used to at home.
Office workers who still hope to stay in the EU can count on options much closer to home. Recently, Ireland launched a campaign to attract 3,000 high-tech specialists to its IT sector on an annual basis. Carl Flannery, CEO of Storm Technology and head of the Tech/Life Ireland project, stated that the high-tech industry in Ireland is growing faster than expected. "The higher education system cannot meet the industry's needs," he explains.
The new campaign is not aimed only at UK citizens, but Flannery says that the latter have shown record interest. This comes amid forecasts by many analysts that Ireland's high-tech industry will grow even faster if the country remains the only English-speaking country in the EU. Most of the available vacancies are in Dublin, although some high-tech clusters are located in regional centers, including Cork and Limerick.
Small and large cities in North America are willing to pay for residency on their territory or offer land for next to nothing. For example, small towns in the Canadian province of Manitoba, seeking to stop the rapid aging of their population, attract new residents with favorable housing conditions.
The rural municipality of Pipestone – a sparsely populated district located 75 km north of the US border – offers land plots in Reston, Pipestone, and Sinclair for 10 Canadian dollars ($8). Those wishing to participate in the program must pay a refundable deposit of 1,000 Canadian dollars ($780) and start building a house within 90 days of closing the deal.
Economic development manager Tanis Chalmers says the main employers in the municipality are oil, agricultural, and livestock companies. Additionally, the rural municipality of Pipestone offers a grant of up to 32,000 Canadian dollars ($24,900) for the construction and commissioning of a new business. Chalmers states that she has already sold 25 plots and hopes to attract another dozen homeowners by the end of 2016.
At the same time, Chelmers notes that this offer is available to potential emigrants from the UK, but it does not imply automatic issuance of a residence permit or visa. Future emigrants should also consider that all plots are located in southwestern Manitoba, near a cluster of oil-producing enterprises in the Canadian prairies. Anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the city atmosphere (or fly back to the UK) will have to drive three and a half hours east to Winnipeg.
Some American regional cities suffering from economic depression also offer favorable living conditions for migrants. However, it should be noted that their offers will only suit those fleeing 'Brexit', not Trump's presidency.
Thus, New Haven, Connecticut, allocates $80,000 in subsidies under three programs aimed at attracting potential homebuyers. In Detroit, Michigan, there are two initiatives (Live Downtown and Live Midtown) that provide rent compensation of $2,500 per year or a conditional non-repayable loan of up to $20,000 for home purchases.
True, finding a job in these crisis-stricken cities is not easy. In the first quarter of 2016, the unemployment rate in Detroit was 11%, and in New Haven slightly less – 7%. Detroit is also known for its high crime rate: according to FBI statistics, there are 44 murders per 100,000 residents.
Considering Detroit's crime and Manitoba's remoteness, it becomes clear why they have to offer special conditions for people to move here to live and work. Nevertheless, if the desire to leave one's home country outweighs all concerns, this rural area and cities trying to overcome the crisis may be just what you need.