Emigrating from Spain: Destinations Debated and Discarded

Emigrating from Spain: Destinations Debated and Discarded

Which country would you move to if Antonio Sánchez returned to power? Raised in a context of institutional weariness, this question has led to an inventory of possible destinations and, above all, rejections. The starting point is an uncomfortable certainty: those who can relocate their profession have it easy; those who cannot look at the map with resignation. Germany appears as the most cited option for those who can transfer their job, while Portugal slips in as a nearby and cheaper alternative for settling down.

From enthusiasm for Germany to discarding the Netherlands

The conversation begins with a message that summarizes the logic of the leaver: anyone with a trade in demand abroad can emigrate without major obstacles, and those who stay carry the guilt of not having tried. Germany presents itself as the natural destination for that technical profile. But the enthusiasm cools quickly when personal experience comes into play: two years in the Netherlands serve to confirm that social cohesion is light-years away from the Spanish model, although the country is discarded for other reasons.

According to that same experience, the problem with the Netherlands is not economic but social. Those who have lived there argue that it is full of immigration and that incidents with certain groups are more frequent than in Spain. The discussion gets tangled in subjective perceptions: some see the Netherlands as a dump, others as a rich country worth settling in. What no one disputes is that the cost of living and language are real barriers.

Portugal, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein: accumulating rejections

Portugal appears as the most repeated option due to proximity and a supposed anarcho-capitalist paradise compared to Spain. However, the Portuguese country itself is rejected for being socialist and expensive: salaries are lower and services, according to several testimonials, are not up to par. Portuguese healthcare is pointed out as the weak point, with a mortality rate higher than Spain's.

Switzerland and Liechtenstein are mentioned as ideal destinations for those seeking a different fiscal and regulatory framework. But the fine print deflates the plan: Liechtenstein has an immigration policy as restrictive as China, Vietnam, and North Korea. Even working there, residency is almost impossible; many end up living in Austria or Switzerland. The detail, provided with a link to an official source, dismantles the fantasy of the Alpine paradise.

The shift towards America and the problem of being a foreigner

As the conversation pogre, the focus shifts to America. Dominican Republic appears as a destination for exile for those who already have the ticket paid. Uruguay is mentioned as a place to spend retirement seasons, with hotels booked. Philippines gains traction for those looking for a different destination, although language becomes an obstacle again: competing with natives requires a level that takes a decade to reach.

The counterpoint comes from those who remember that emigrating is not just changing countries: you will always be a foreigner wherever you go. The warning is completed with an uncomfortable prediction: if Spain recovers, many of those who left will return, and those who stayed to resist will have to deal with those who fled. In that reading, the guilt lies not with those who leave, but with those who hand over the country to those who remain.

The world has no definitive place to flee to

The most repeated conclusion is that there are no good places, only less bad ones. All societies will become multicultural, poverty and taxes will reach everywhere, and each destination fled to ends up resembling the one left behind. The era of easy immigration and building a life project in another country is considered over: today it requires a visa, language proficiency, and contributing something concrete.

Against that pessimism, the option of staying arises. With the PSOE, Spain is a good country for those living off rents, although the problem is living from work. The gap between rentiers and wage earners becomes the true axis of the debate: it is not a matter of borders, but of position on the economic ladder. And there, emigrating fixes nothing.

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In the end, the map of destinations reduces to a list of rejections: Germany for language, the Netherlands for social cohesion, Portugal for being socialist and expensive, Switzerland and Liechtenstein for being restrictive, America for distance. The sailboat remains, which someone mentions as the ultimate solution. Dry irony: the only destination that does not require a visa is the one you carry with you.