People Describe The Moment They Decided To Leave Their Countries Due To Political Unrest

In these tumultuous, uncertain times, many Americans are feeling anything but patriotic.

Some find our current political situation so grave that they've decided to expatriate.

It must be said, however, that most Americans are doing so by choice, which is truly a privilege.

As countless others who left their home country did so out of necessity, in what was very much a life-or-death situation.

Redditor Traditional-Wind4903 was curious to hear stories of what led people to leave their home countries forever, leading them to ask:

"People who left their home countries due to political unrest, when did you realize it was time to go?"

Planning for the Future

No One To Trust

"My dad worked in local government under a mayor who wanted to better the city."

"He and all his colleagues got arrested and spent weeks in solidarity in an attempt to extract incriminating information."

"The warden even came to our house, acting like a janitor that had been given my dad's ring as a sign for us to trust him, again to extract information."

"We applied for immigration status as soon as he was released."- MordinMordanMordam

Signs Of A Dictatorship

"When my country started a full-scale war, but made calling it a 'war' illegal."- Gippeus

Education Can Take You Places...

"My mil and husband left 90s Russia."

"The economy was in the pooper and a lot of people had drinking problems."

"Multiple generations of highly educated family members in a tiny apartment."

"She saw a better opportunity elsewhere with her advanced degree."

"He is super grateful to her!"- asil518

...And Can Bring You Problems

"When I had to hide under a desk in my university building because the protestors had broken down the doors of the building and were assaulting anyone they found while roaming around the rooms."

"As I was sitting in the dark under a desk, with the doors barricaded with whatever we could find, I decided that country will not have my future."

"I left when I finished my degree and will never return."- hermionecannotdraw

They Knew What Was Coming

"2003 in Russia."

"Putin has just put Khodorkovsky (an oil magnate) in jail."

"There was no due process, and some of the charges were beyond ridiculous."

"My small town in the depths of Siberia benefited from Khodorkovsky and him getting his oil in our region (don’t get me wrong, I am well aware how much was stolen and not passed on to people and the region, but we saw at least something)."

"Putin has already shown his colors by then as well, and nothing good could have come from a former KGB agent."

"I was still pretty much a kid (though in Uni by then), I knew I have to leave some way or another."- Dangerous_Finger4682

Couldn't Get Out Soon Enough

"When my school was being used as a political torture area- 20 years ago."

"See if you can guess the country!"- joshteacher123

Outside Influence

"When my country's elected government was toppled in favor of a military government because the US didn't like the vibe."- arslan70

To Serve And Protect Who, Exactly?...

"Not me but my father and mother left when police started acting more like thugs then proper police force."- Eglord69

Friends In High Places

"For all of Syria’s issues, it’s still far better off now then it was other the Assad family."

"My mom and most of her family left under Hafez, and Bashar was even worse than dear old dad."

"No one even knows why it started, as the family was apolitical, but several members of my mom’s family were snatched up & tortured & likely killed."

"The govt believed in collective punishment even before the war, but the assumption is this wasn’t collective punishment & they assumed the family members were all a part of something."

"I’ll be a bit vague here because of anonymity, but a few of them who were arrested & tortured were let go because a higher up in the government used to be friends with them in their school days."

"That person told them they all needed to leave the country or at least make themselves 'scarce', and to stop trying to rescue the rest as two other family members were already dead & the rest were likely lost."

"A few of the family members who hadn’t been snatched up had been trying to bribe others for information or release, and they had to stop."- Violet-Rose-Birdy

Draft Dodging Continues

"I was 17, about to turn 18, which meant being forced into the military."

"I knew I had to make a decision or risk dying as a soldier."

"It was a crazy journey, with shootings at the border at night, but I made it through."

"Thank God."- Significant_Base8502

Praying For That Transfer

"I'm literally doing that right now."

"The national government is taking over local train stations in the name of public safety and the secret police stopped wildland fire firefighters to check their documents, they are trying to change the election rules."

"There is a waiting list for international transfers with my Employer."

"That was never the case outside of the popular countries."- is_bets

When You Can No Longer Afford To Go To Work

"I worked in a lab at the University for 10 years, sometimes things were rough, sometimes very easy, and funding was abundant."

"In my last years the government changed, and, in total, after 4 years, around 90% of investment was cut."

"In my lab, we started buying very basic stuff such as alcohol, paper, plastic containers, essential things for our research."

"The campus was also abandoned, grass growing everywhere, security being dismissed, lack of water and toilet paper in the bathrooms."

"After finishing one of the projects I was contributing in, I left. It's sad because I really loved that job, but couldn't go on 'paying to work'."- timelesscurium

It's a far too common occurrence these days for people to be afraid of living in their own homes.

Those who are lucky often find a way to a better life in a new country.

Even if one can't help but wonder how those who escaped to the United States are feeling today.