Renouncing the United States citizenship is gradually becoming as usual as it's becoming more complicated, as The Guardian (via ElDiario) informs. What once meant the American Dream for some is now something they don't want to be a part of, even if it's more and more difficult to process.
The waiting lists in some consulates in Europe, Canada, or Australia can now take from six months to more than a year, and according to the report, renunciations have risen from the hundreds (in the early 2000s) to the thousands (since 2014).
As motivations for such impactful decision, the article points to both political and practical reasons. Many interviewees cite Trump, fears of authoritarianism, US foreign policy, and doubts about democratic transfer of power, while others point to taxation, banking problems abroad, military registration concerns, and the burden of citizenship-based tax rules. A Norwegian interviewee said:
"I don't want to be a citizen of a dictatorship. I think many people believe the real test for the American system will come in the next presidential election, and I think they're wrong"
Regardless, renouncing can often be emotionally heavy and financially risky. People surveyed describe it as a kind of divorce from the United States, feeling from relief to regret or existential doubts, even if most don't miss the citizenship proper afterwards. Finally, the process can cause significant legal costs, task issues, public listing, or anxiety about a potential re-entry to the US.