*lowers voice* As others have pointed out, you cannot necessarily even emigrate to Canada, your neighbour, if you are disabled or have evidence of 'undue' healthcare spending, for example (real life example unfortunately) receiving treatment in the adult psychiatric care system... involuntarily. 🙃
There is an American exceptionalism embedded in the idea that y'all think you can just pick up and leave and go wherever you want. It's cute you think you'd be welcomed. Americans aren't exactly popular in the world.
It’s not that Americans “aren’t popular.” It’s that immigration laws are awful in most countries. As you say, disabled people are largely blocked from moving to Canada. We sent back conscientious objectors during the Iraq War instead of letting them in like we did in the Vietnam War.
To be fair, American immigration laws and regulations are pretty awful too. Which is why it's so silly when Yanks assume they can just cross the border and settle without fuss.
I think what happens is a combination of hearing (correctly) how awful US immigration is and assuming it must be better elsewhere, which, sure, it IS a little better, but not by much; and then white (+American) privilege, assuming they can just do anything & bad laws don’t apply to them.
Nah, I think it's just naivete. I remember when I moved to Canada almost 35 years ago (and did lots of research, and started on a NAFTA permit while getting permanent residence) how my US friends didn't seem to understand at all the difference between permanent residence and citizenship.
Same as the oddity that so few Americans have passports. It's such a big place, and so few people travel abroad except brief visits to places that don't require visas, that people just don't get much chance to learn how international borders work.
