Google search data have shown a major spike in U.K. Citizens interested in leaving the country after the Thursday vote to leave the European Union. CityLab called on Google News Lab’s Simon Rogers to compile a list of searches for “Move to X” from various U.K. Regions on Friday. The list of searched-for migration destinations included Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, but the two most popular were Canada and Scotland.
It may seem surprising to see Scotland so high up the list, since it’s also part of the U.K. But the trend reflects widespread belief that Scotland, whose voters strongly supported remaining in the E.U., will soon hold a referendum to split from the U.K. So it can do just that.
Get Data Sheet, Coins2Day ’s technology newsletter.
Similarly, searches for “Move to Gibraltar” spiked in some regions, even though Gibraltar is a British territory.
+680% spike in searches for "Move to Gibraltar" in London since polls closed #EUref https://t.co/aMkqjxXH2i pic.twitter.com/wXa1Rk7zjE
— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) June 24, 2016
Gibraltar is heavily dependent on the EU and voted overwhelmingly to remain, and its status has been thrown sharply into question by the outcome of the vote.
There has also been a surge in searches for “Irish passport”. An estimated 6 million U.K. Citizens with Irish roots are eligible for Irish citizenship, which would let them keep their travel and employment rights in the E.U. According to the Irish Mirror, the Irish Passport Service hired 200 extra staff in anticipation of the rush of interest, and Friday saw long lines.
For more on Brexit, watch our video:
In America, spikes in interest in leaving the country—mostly, for Canada—tend to follow Presidential elections, as disappointed losers vent their disdain. Much of that interest is fleeting, but Canada did see an increase in American immigration following George W. Bush’s 2004 election victory.
Though the numbers are certainly spiking, the total number of U.K. “Move” searches isn’t huge—only a few thousand related to Canada over the past few days, for instance. But the U.K. Could still see significant real-world migration, both because of the Irish connection, and because Brexit is so much more profound than even a presidential election. Americans who oppose a President get to fight back four years later. But on Thursday, the U.K. Was changed forever.
