In this “unreal, silly world” (in the recent words of outspoken British MP Ken Clarke) Portugal is being touted as one of the “best countries to go to” for people fleeing an America under President Trump.
A tongue-in-cheek article in the Huffington Post has come up with 10 countries “that could work” for people desperate to escape the day-to-day of a Trump administration.
Portugal is suggested for the fact that it is “having a moment among young travelers and retirees”; it has a “low cost of living compared to other destinations in Europe”, and there are “plenty of (job) openings in the bustling tourism industry”.
The article hangs on the fact that “many Americans said they would leave the country” if ever Donald Trump took office. Some have already started.
Huffington Post’s “No 1 choice” for a country of refuge is neighbouring Canada (which many Americans said in the early days of the presidential campaign they would run to given a Trump vote), followed, after Portugal, by Thailand, Ireland, Singapore, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, France and … Mexico.
Anyone opting for the last destination may be cheered by the White House “denial” earlier this week that it was considering an invasion of Mexico.
As Sky News reporter Greg Millam quipped, that particular soundbyte coming out of the new administration is “surely one of the most remarkable clarifications in history”.
