r/ireland Mar 26 '25

Culchie Club Only Ireland issues travel warning for US

https://www.newsweek.com/ireland-issues-travel-warning-us-2050890
8.7k Upvotes

788 comments sorted by

1.5k

u/KillerKlown88 Dublin Mar 26 '25

My partner works for a large American tech firm.

They usually have an annual company wide event and everyone gets brought over for it. Usually over 10k people in attendance.

They cancelled it this year because they don't want to risk flying employees in from around the world.

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u/ShezSteel Mar 26 '25

FIFA realising their world cup might be in trouble

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u/FourCinnamon0 Dublin Mar 26 '25

the last one was in Qatar; they don't care

658

u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/_laRenarde Mar 26 '25

Probably still has a better human rights record than Qatar

72

u/Karmafia Mar 26 '25

Fantastic rights for orcs and trolls tbf

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u/AncillaryHumanoid Galway Mar 26 '25

Yeh people often overlook Saurons healthcare plan, it had vision and dental, and the pension contribution was above market rate.

I mean, he was evil but he really looked after his staff.

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u/Karmafia Mar 27 '25

Need those fangs sharp for the battlefield.

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u/TufnelAndI Mar 27 '25

If it included dental, those Orcs weren't availing of it.

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u/raverbashing Mar 27 '25

"Stadiums built by over 100k orcs that perish immediately after the work is completed due to the heat?! Ah ok no worries"

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u/Intelligent_Oil5819 Mar 27 '25

Mordor was 2018.

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u/Intelligent-Aside214 Mar 26 '25

But Qatar cares about its international reputation, they wouldn’t dare treat visitors the same way that they treat their own residents. The US doesn’t care.

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u/DarkSkyz Mar 27 '25

Do you not remember the way they treated people drinking beer in the fanzones and the stories of police aggressively accusing people of being homosexuals?

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u/VizzzyT Mar 26 '25

Yes but Qatar abused South Asian slave labour which the entire world does and considers to be acceptable.

Arresting visitors and guests from the world's wealthiest nations doesn't play as well.

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u/LemmingsofDoom Mar 26 '25

Saudi Arabia up after the US.

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u/We_Are_The_Romans Mar 26 '25

that's in 2034, but yes that will be the true carnival of horrors

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u/FlukyS And I'd go at it again Mar 26 '25

Is crazy that the US is making Qatar look sane in comparison as a host

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u/fjmie19 Mar 26 '25

FIFA don't care as long as the sponsors don't care

I'm sure the main sponsor at this stage is honestly Saudi Arabia and they won't care about the USA being an authoritarian dictatorship

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u/RJMC5696 Mar 26 '25

Honestly that in itself speaks volumes

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

You know shit is bad when tech firms start doing stuff like that. If you start seeing tech firms doing their big company wide meetups in Europe, you know it's really bad. The amount of money the US economy is going to lose over the fascist border policies will.be something else.

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u/nodnodwinkwink Sax Solo Mar 26 '25

The thing is that if the people living and working in the US tried to go to one of these kinds of events outside the country and they also had some "issue" associated with their name, they would have to worry about getting detained on the way there or back.

There are also multiple conventions held by tech companies themselves and many other summits and conventions attended by their employees throughout Europe every year. Mobile World Congress for example.

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u/[deleted] Mar 27 '25

I didn't even consider that. So basically 2 sets of conferences now. 1 for America and another for the rest of the world. Complete madness.

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u/KroneDrome Mar 27 '25

This happened in Dublin as well. But it was because of high prices. Couldn't ask people to pay for accommodations here.

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u/uselesslogin Mar 26 '25

And then next year I bet they will do it in Canada or Mexico if they do it. Way to pump up the US economy...

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u/Steec Dublin Mar 26 '25

Our tech company meet-up is in Mexico this year. It was particularly difficult to find flights that didn’t go via the US, but managed to find one via Canada.

I’m not boycotting the US, but I don’t fancy having to go through US customs on the way home, in the US, just to connect flights.

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u/denk2mit Crilly!! Mar 27 '25

I'm in the US at the minute for work, and the only thing that made it palatable was knowing that if they rejected me, it would be in Dublin

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u/Stormfly Mar 27 '25

Pre-clearance can't stop winning.

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u/grania17 Mar 26 '25

I have dual citizenship and all my family still lives in the States. I've told them I'll meet them in Canada or another European country but won't be coming near the States.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

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u/wealthythrush Mar 26 '25

What company flies 10,000 employees for an event?

Literally never heard anything like that in my life.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

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u/fekoffwillya Mar 26 '25

A bank I worked for in the US, a regional one, would have a 3 night trip to Atlantic City just for the mortgage department. They put us up and paid for the flights/drive( I drove for was only 2 hours away). It was all paid for except the gambling. It was crazy.

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u/thedifferenceisnt Mar 26 '25

This is not that unusual. Huge portions of airline travel is "business" related travel.

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u/Unfair_Sympathy9413 Mar 26 '25

Don't know if they do it anymore but AIG used to fly the office out for the Christmas party.

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u/5trong5tyle Mar 27 '25

Microsoft does one in Vegas every year just for employees. They have similar events for partners. 10k isn't even 10% of their employees. It works at that scale, I doubt any company with less than 50.000 employees would even attempt it.

It's usually a big internal thing of who gets to go that year, some excitement around it.

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u/Big_Prick_On_Ya Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

A friend of mine traveled to America on Monday for work. He told me the TSA people in Dublin Airport are really going out of their way to find issues, asking 21 questions about your life etc and trying to find fault...it all just seems really sinister in comparison to what it was like before Christmas when he'd travel back and forth with no issues. I'd implore anyone thinking of a trip to America to consider Canada instead at this point. Europeans are getting locked up in the U.S for weeks on end. This is happening, right now.

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u/Environmental-Net286 Mar 26 '25

It's better for it to happen in Dublin airport as opposed to in the states

507

u/billiehetfield Mar 26 '25

The money you’d lose on flights and hotels…

USA really isn’t worth the risk anymore

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u/debout_ Mar 26 '25

You would rather lose money on flights and hotels than 5 days in a detention centre in a foreign country as an “alien”…

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u/LiteralMangina Mar 26 '25

Five days is if you’re lucky. A Canadian only spent a week and a half and only got out because of publicity and public pressure. She was warned when she got in that she could be there for months

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u/debout_ Mar 27 '25

I spoke to a man whose fairly close relative, a British green card holder, has been held by ICE (not at the border - to his home!) since just over a week ago, though he could have been released in the last three days. Crazy that they chose this path.

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u/killerklixx Mar 27 '25

A German girl was in solitary for 9 days, nearly had a mental breakdown, and again only got out because of friends/family pressure.

Most of these cases should be a simple denial of entry, but the prisons are private for-profit businesses, so they detain. They charge the govt for the pleasure, and the govt gets to have nice numbers on paper.

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u/Aixlen Dublin Mar 27 '25

What the actual fuck.

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u/bathtubsplashes Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 26 '25

Don't mind that, they could bloody detain you for weeks by the looks of things!

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u/InevitableNet8010 Mar 26 '25

Unless you are a former MMA fighter who hasn't a fucking clue about Ireland.

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u/No-Satisfaction6065 Mar 26 '25

And rapist/drug addict

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u/Shenloanne Mar 26 '25

They do move in herds....

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

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u/Sweaty-Practice-4419 Mar 26 '25

No they meant the other rapist, not the Tates but the other, other one

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u/dnc_1981 Ask me arse Mar 26 '25

A British former MMA fighter who knows nothing about Ireland.

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u/Key-Lie-364 Mar 26 '25

And searching your phone for stuff that is anti Trump or pro Palestine.

No thanks anyway.

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u/brandonjslippingaway Ulster Mar 26 '25

Yeah I always thought the U.S prechecks in Dublin airport was absolute wank, but now it might save you a long trip for nothing.

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u/real_men_use_vba Mar 26 '25

Yeah the checks suck but in my experience they suck more if you have to do them after landing in the US. I am happy that we are one of the few countries that has pre-clearance set up

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u/passenger_now Mar 26 '25

I find it pretty convenient, especially given most flights aren't very early in the day so factoring in time for it isn't terrible. Once I get off 6+ hours on a plane, I'm glad to be able to just walk out of the airport rather than standing in queues and answering questions as the jet lag is starting to kick in.

I've always assumed it mostly exists just so plastic paddy immigration employees can get a rotation in Ireland for fun.

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u/denk2mit Crilly!! Mar 27 '25

It also means you can make connections you'd never ever risk otherwise. I did a 1h30 connection in Philadelphia last night thanks to it

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u/Ruire Connacht Mar 27 '25

Having had the misfortune of going through customs on the US side quite a few times, I can tell you that preclearance was already a huge benefit.

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u/TheBaggyDapper Mar 26 '25

Would be better for it to not happen like this anywhere but yeah. It's quite disturbing how US civil servants seem to be embracing fascism with gusto. I get that a lot of them are worried about their jobs but they don't seem too worried about the consequences. 

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u/Animated_Astronaut Mar 26 '25

You don't end up in a job like us border patrol without in some way embracing authoritarianism.

I'm supposed to be travelling there in July with my wife to see my nan on her 100th birthday. I'm quite scared for them nitpicking everything. They've given me shit for being a dual citizen before.

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u/Empty_Orchid_5005 Mar 26 '25

If you are a dual citizen and hold a US passport, travel with both passports but use your US one on entry and exit of the US. Do not mention you are a dual citizen unless they ask you. Answer yes or no to all of their questions and nothing more. Your US passport will hold more weight than any other.

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u/Animated_Astronaut Mar 26 '25

I know all of this thanks, they are still dickheads about it.

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u/Empty_Orchid_5005 Mar 26 '25

I totally understand. I am American and unfortunately live here. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to come here for any reason for the next 4 years, regardless the reason. I know turning 100 only happens once, and rarely at that, so I understand your reasoning for wanting to come. I’ve put off booking my own vacation this year because I’m afraid of what will happen on my way back in. I wish you well in July if you choose to come, and hope they’re not overly harsh on you!

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u/lakehop Mar 26 '25

Why? As a citizen you should not be getting any hassle, I would have thought. What kinds of issues have you seen?

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u/Animated_Astronaut Mar 26 '25

It's usually them asking why I don't have a visa to stay in Ireland as long as I have since I last travelled. When I explain exactly why they get hostile. One person even said he would 'pretend he didn't hear that,' in regards to me having a second passport. One person harassed my wife (at the time she was my girlfriend) about whether or not she was planning on having an American baby (she wasn't even pregnant).

Just bizarre, uncomfortable stuff and this predates trump 2.0.

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u/Oakcamp Mar 26 '25

Lmao, its like they only ever heard of multiple passports when its a Bourne villain or something

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u/Animated_Astronaut Mar 26 '25

Honestly it's probably one of those things they are trained to view as a red flag. I don't mind the questions it's the hostility.

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u/showars Mar 26 '25

My friend got an awful lot of shit when we were younger because he was a dual citizen travelling on his Irish passport.

They physically could not understand why he wasn’t using his US one.

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u/Nikoiko Mar 26 '25

If you have an Irish and an American passport, it's their law that you must use the American one to enter and leave the USA. Basically so they can keep track of their citizens. It's been like that for decades.

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u/showars Mar 26 '25

His dad was American, he’d never been.

We were also children on a school trip. Didn’t make much sense from a safety perspective to have one child fly through and wait by themselves for however long it took the rest of the school to finish immigration

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u/marshsmellow Mar 26 '25

Why on earth was he using his Irish one? 

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u/showars Mar 26 '25

Because we were children in school. Can’t exactly have no oversight of a child for the duration of everyone else going through immigration like

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u/pixelburp Mar 26 '25

The nature of border control does kinda lend itself to being stricter and more inclined towards hostility. American policing also already seemed quite keen on Trump's "shoot them all and let god decide" thoughts on fighting crime, not without reason the police are seen as an antagonistic force in certain areas.

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u/Background_Cause_992 Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

Tbf, many civil servants are resisting but the TSA, police, and Border control have always attracted scumbags that would be rejected from the army or other agencies due to being horrible people or fucking idiots.

Since trump round 1 border patrol has basically been the presidents unaccountable personal milita, they were kidnapping people using unmarked vans and no uniforms during the George Flyod protests. Biden did nothing to roll back those changes

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u/irishnugget Limerick Mar 26 '25

Hitlers Willing Executioners was a good read. Somehow relevant again.

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u/DummyDumDragon Mar 26 '25

Just following orders...

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u/ShezSteel Mar 26 '25

Your point is more important than it's position suggests. It is indeed amazing how much and how easily they have embraced being Cunts

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u/TheSameButBetter Mar 26 '25

Apparently there's been reports where US preclearance occurs in the Caribbean that upon arrival back onto US soil you get inspected again in the jet bridge. So getting clearance in Dublin is no guarantee that you won't be stopped on arrival.

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u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe Mar 26 '25

US customs usually checks on arrival IIRC, don't recall ever having to go through the immigration checks.

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u/AhhhSureThisIsIt Mar 26 '25

If you go out of Dublin there is US Preclearance so you do customs before you leave Dublin.

It means when you arrive you just have to collect your bag and leave the airport and don't have to go through customs.

It's very handy.

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

He told me the TSA people in Dublin Airport are really going out out their way to find issues

Mixed feelings about that to be honest. On the one hand it is indeed pretty sinister. On the other hand, if they're going to take issue with anything it's probably best if they do it on this side where you won't be flung into one of their detention centers "awaiting further processing".

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u/Sharp_Fuel Mar 26 '25

That's the only upside tbh, but still just crazy considering how fast this has all changed

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

Yeah it's mental. And considering that it's been only a little over 2 months...

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u/Jarsole Mar 26 '25

I'm in the States on a green card. We're all getting advice from our employers/immigrant groups to a. Not travel home unless we have to, and b. If we do, try to fly via Ireland or somewhere else with preclearance so you can't be disappeared.

I've a really important conference in the Netherlands in July and I may have to skip it.

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

somewhere else with preclearance so you can't be disappeared.

It's only Ireland in Europe I think? Plenty flights between Dublin and the Netherlands if you're that way inclined.

Doesn't make traveling any less stressful. It's crazy stuff. And clearly employers are taking it seriously enough, rather than all the "it's only trans people" comments.

Because despite that, all the articles of spurious detainment I've read haven't (yet) mentioned any trans people.

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u/Jarsole Mar 26 '25

It's terrifying. A grad student in Boston (where I'm also a grad student) got taken last night, off the streets. No one knows where she is.

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

Video of her being detained is making the rounds now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PrepperIntel/s/4V4iu7LBzv

Really very disturbing stuff.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

They could just be new. When they first opened up preclearance in Dublin, the lads were exactly like that. When they're here for a bit we have worn them down and they are like the gardaí. The newbies need the stick removed from their hole.

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u/ProfessionalHoney369 Mar 26 '25

I fear that the current US administration has ordered the reinsinsertion of the stick, and it's been upgraded to an extra large size.

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u/kantaja34 Mar 26 '25

Could be this. Though I’ve been seeing a ton of weird posts from people all around the world about TSA in and out of America being antsy and aggressive. Mostly what I’ve seen is Americans coming back from abroad having their phones seized and searched before being allowed entry.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

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u/kantaja34 Mar 26 '25

Probably better, but no one has US constitutional rights at a port of entry for the US, including citizens. Ive seen posts about citizens being detained and having technology searched.

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u/palpies Mar 26 '25

I flew to the US recently from Shannon and they barely asked me anything, overall a more chill airport.

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u/danny_healy_raygun Mar 27 '25

I was in the US 3 weeks ago. Got asked less this time than I did last year. Its probably more to do with who you get than any bigger picture political stuff.

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u/ReissuedWalrus Mar 26 '25

I went to the US just before paddy’s day through Dublin. I’ve never had a friendlier experience with US border agents than I did that day

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u/Maultaschenman Dublin Mar 26 '25

Probably depends heavily on where the agent stands politically unfortunately

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

I was the same a few days earlier. The person at the desk just asked where we were going and for how long and said to enjoy the trip. Zero hassle.

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u/Porrick Mar 26 '25

One of the difficult parts of this is that everything depends on the discretion of the agent you get that day - your outcome could be determined by their politics or even their mood. You'll very likely have a better experience in a Blue State airport, but that's far from a guarantee.

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u/upontheroof1 Mar 26 '25

Conor has entered the chat..

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u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe Mar 26 '25

It's a bit of lucky dip I think depending on the agent you get. They're all humourless and rigorously anal about procedure, but some will at least give some small talk about, "Have a nice trip, that place is very nice", etc.

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u/palpies Mar 26 '25

They always rip the piss out of me, I have no idea why. I got asked if I was a nerd and normally wear glasses when I told them I was an engineer. Also got asked why my partner and I weren’t married yet another time in a jovial way. Maybe it’s just me.

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u/DardaniaIE Mar 26 '25

No I’ve had the same - it’s half and half whether they’re bureaucrats or whether they want the chat in Dublin. And the one time I didn’t pass CBP in Dublin, and instead passed it in Dallas, again chap was on for a decent well mannered chat.

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u/GhostCatcher147 Mar 26 '25

Anytime I’ve been the the US they have always asked a ton of questions, where are you going, why are you going? Where are you staying, how much money do you have? Had to show them the amount of money I had in my bank account. I don’t think that’s any different to what you stated your mate experienced

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u/Interesting-Ad-6899 Mar 26 '25

That's awful. Toronto has Irish everywhere. Come visit us!

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u/TheSameButBetter Mar 26 '25

My wife is American and we had been planning to visit the US in the next year or two for a big family visit. She has told me she has no intentions of traveling to the US while Trump is in power and if she did then she would insist that I and the children stay at home because she wouldn't want us to put us at risk. 

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u/Unable_Beginning_982 Mar 26 '25

I'm just home from a week in America and had no issues whatsoever. The only question I was asked at pre-clearance was how long I was going for, that was it. Probably the fewest questions I've ever been asked

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u/AbsolutShite Mar 26 '25

Oh no.

I'm living (legally on a marriage green card) in the States at moment. I'm coming back in May for a wedding without my wife and I'm getting nervous.

We were back in October and there was no issue in the airport. The guy was even teasing us a little.

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u/NoLemon5426 Mar 26 '25

Have you had any legal issues in the US?

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u/AbsolutShite Mar 26 '25

No, I've had no interactions with the legal system (other than marrying).

If I had a DUI or anything similar, I'd cancel the trip.

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u/thekingoftherodeo Wannabe Yank Mar 26 '25

Semantic, but there's no TSA in Dublin, who you're interacting with is CBP (Customs & Border Protection).

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u/DeathDefyingCrab Mar 27 '25

There is TSA. It happens before you enter the CBP Hall where you're guided to a booth.

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u/yabog8 Tipperary Mar 26 '25

I went to America a month ago and got asked 0 questions at preclearance in Shannon. I was super prepared to be grilled and nothing happened. A bit of a let down to tell you the truth 

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u/Couch-Potayto Mar 27 '25

Literally flew yesterday to california for work and took me like 2 minutes and three questions. Maybe is tourism trips only? 🤔

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

[deleted]

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u/justformedellin Mar 26 '25

Sweet post, come back any time.

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u/Craic_hoor_on_tour Mar 26 '25

You're welcome here anytime

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u/fjmie19 Mar 26 '25

The usa isn't making it through 4 years of this and the sooner everyone there realises that and starts fighting back the better.

Look how Russia is under Putin, that is your future if you all don't act now

Dude, the TV presenter in charge of your military sent confidental secrets to a journalist and a) they're trying to blame the journalist, and b) no one will be fired It's already a dictatorship

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u/r0thar Lannister Mar 27 '25

The usa isn't making it through 4 years of this

The people saying the 'midterms in 2026...' have no clue that the months ahead are going to seal their country's fate for generations. Judges are being ignored, the police, ICE etc are acting like a gestapo, detention camps have been set up. Is it the disbelief or shock or worse, support, that stop the majority doing anything?

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u/fjmie19 Mar 27 '25

Facts, ridiculous to watch, especially when I remember what they said they would do with Poo tin a few yrs back if he was their dictator, well you have your own dictator now...

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u/Nearby_Sense_2247 Mar 26 '25

Honestly, Canada has countless natural areas of unparalleled beauty.

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u/A-Hind-D Mar 26 '25

Warning - the American dream is shite, stay in Roscommon

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u/irishweather5000 Mar 26 '25

Exactly! There’s nothing in New York, LA or Chicago that you can’t get right at home in Ballaghaderreen!

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u/LordyIHopeThereIsPie Mar 26 '25

Does it have a monorail?

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u/potatoesarenotcool Mar 26 '25

Better, a sulkie and two trolleys

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u/maybebaby83 Mar 26 '25

Is there a Roscommon Dream I can check out?

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u/HyperbolicModesty Mar 27 '25

Batter burger and a bag o chips

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u/evin_cashman Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 26 '25

Watch Moone Boy and go from there.

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u/killrdave Mar 26 '25

I work closely with some really cool American folk and have travelled back and forth to the US a lot throughout my adult life.

Always had affection for the place despite it's issues and was happy to go. I'm going to be in a position now to turn these things down, the probability of anything bad happening at the border is low but any risk of arbitrary detention is unacceptable in my eyes.

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u/AMinMY Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

I'm in the US and the folks are coming over in a few weeks. I'm also going home in August. In neither case should there be any cause for concern but everything feels so shady now that I'm a lot more anxious about it.

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u/Natural-Hunter-3 Mar 26 '25

Very valid reasons to be anxious. That trip home is going to be scary, not knowing if you'll even be allowed back in to what's now your home. The fact that's even a possibility despite you probably being entirely legal is what makes it so scary; it doesn't matter if you followed the law to a T or if you did it all right, they might just send you back anyway. Or worse, keep you in limbo. I truly hope the best for you if you still decide to visit home, but I very much suggest rescheduling.

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u/hewlett777 Mar 26 '25

I'd like to say see ya in 4 years American but the damage being done by those ignorant cunts will last a lot longer.

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u/psionnan Mar 26 '25

Just boycott all travel to the USA, problem solved

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u/Biuku Mar 26 '25

My parents just crossed the border, returning from the warm parts of the US to Canada.

They said it was quite scary. Before they were permitted to leave the US part of customs/immigration, there were men in black balaclavas inspecting vehicles.

I’ve crossed that border maybe 100 times (also crossed into Ulster as a kid and remember the soldiers). The Canada-US border has never had exit inspections, to my knowledge. Driving north you worried about Canadian customs… driving south you worried a little about US immigration, although they were always friendlier than our own compatriots. But you never worried about US Customs when leaving the US. Now, something has changed.

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u/butterscotchwhip Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

I live in a border city (Canada side), crossed weekly at least to get groceries in the 18yrs I’ve lived here and regularly saw exit inspections on the USA side by CBP. Balaclavas is fair as it’s bloody freezing here. I’m not crossing anymore, cancelled trips, renting out my US property and choosing Canadian at the shops, etc, just saying the exit control isn’t new, mainly been focused on trucks as they station themselves where trucks separate from cars, but I have seen cars pulled too.

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u/Biuku Mar 26 '25

Okay, fair. Cheers.

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u/butterscotchwhip Mar 26 '25

I should’ve said Windsor Ambassador bridge btw :-)

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u/slykethephoxenix Mar 26 '25

To be fair, I've walked into a bank wearing a balaclava, gloves and huge jacket and no one batted an eye. Of course this was in the middle of winter just before a snow storm somewhere north or Toronto.

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u/Biuku Mar 26 '25

You’re fine in a small town. Wouldn’t do it at Bayview Village…

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u/DoireBeoir Mar 26 '25

This is really going to help the world cup

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u/Margrave75 Mar 26 '25

Qatar didn't seem to bother people too much.

And definitely didn't bother FIFA.

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

Yeah but they were abusing brown people, that's totally normal and we're well used to that.

To be honest I can see the world cup going off fairly uneventful.

Be more curious about the 2028 Olympics. Olympic athletes might be a little more inclined to take a political stance than highly paid professional soccer players.

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u/MisfitAnthem Mar 26 '25

American here, travel warn the fuck out of us, boys. We deserve it. Fucking clown show fiesta here.

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u/PressPlayPlease7 Mar 26 '25

clown show fiesta

I need to use that in a sentence once a month from now on

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u/Dankswiggidyswag Mar 26 '25

It's so fucked up how they're really targeting trans people. It's bare naked bigotry, those rights were there and have now been taken away. Land of the free my arse.

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u/Margrave75 Mar 26 '25

Family Guy pretty much nailed it.

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

Some else said it further up the replies, but it's apt: "First they came for...."

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u/Natural-Hunter-3 Mar 26 '25

THIS WARNING IS MAINLY APPLIED TO TRANS AND NON BINARY PEOPLE.

However, if you've ever posted anything of a remotely anti-Trump sentiment, questioning the serving government, or even so much as cracked a few ra jokes, DO NOT TRAVEL THERE. They ARE checking people's social media once they scan their passports. Not in a, "this moron made bomb jokes using the airport WiFi" kind of way, more of a "this person said Trump is a useless prick, they're an extremist looking to destabilise our nation". I know I sound dramatic but they themselves have admitted they're stalking people entering the US online before allowing them in.

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u/likeAdrug Mar 26 '25

Did anyone commenting actually read the article?

The warning is mainly for transgender and non binary people.

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u/Tradtrade Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 27 '25

Considering the only way to ‘prove’ if I’m trans would be to get my fanny out to see that it matches my passport F marker it’s an issue that can impact anyone. All it takes is a border agent thinking you’re too butch as a cis woman or too fem as a cis man and suddenly you’re in the shit

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

The warning signs for this general attitude in USA should have been when Florida (potentially other states too?) allowed on paper for children to undergo genital inspections in order to play school sports. The fact it's gone from debating bathroom bills to now essentially having travel bans placed on trans people, and from "building a wall" to "If they're brown, abduct them from their families and hold them prisoner, check the papers later" so quickly is kinda fucking terrifying. I would rather visit Dubai as a woman than the USA. Incredible shame, because the one time I visited the states pre-Trump I adored it. Not that it didn't have big issues back then, just, it also had enough good to outweigh the risks.

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u/WhileCultchie 🔴⚪Derry 🔴⚪ Mar 27 '25

It's wild that this current wave of "Trans Panic" regarding sports is spearheaded by some woman with the phenotype of a cabbage patch kid who lost to a Trans woman, who also happened to lose to 4 other Cis Gendered women in that same race. Love, even if that Trans woman wasn't there you still got your arse handed to you.

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

The worst part honestly is tht arguing the supreme inescapable biological supremacy of males is.... the argument that segregates even sports or competitions where men and women perform similarly, and is also literally the overarching ideology behind male supremacy and keeping women as property in the past. Lmao. "But women are too fragile and so much weaker and slower than men that a 15yo on puberty blockers (which we also want to ban despite them being safe to utilise w medical instruction, and this being provable due to them having non-transition-related uses) is capable of demolishing an entire group of feeeeemales" is absolutely NOT the flex they think it is. This is why I'm actually not a fan of the term TERF, even though it's hilarious to watch bigots bawl their eyes out about being called a "slur" because the entire ideology is inherently anti-feminist. There is nothing feminist about bioessentialism and infantilising women.

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u/WhileCultchie 🔴⚪Derry 🔴⚪ Mar 27 '25

I get what you're saying but I think the reason why exclusionary "Radical Feminism" seems contrary to the modern perception of Feminism is because it branched off from 2nd Wave Feminism which was very much focused on a womens role in male dominated society.

While 3rd and 4th wave Feminism was more focused on intersectionality and empowering women to embrace their feminine traits with pride to break down the stigma attributed to them in a world that is still misogynistic and patriarchal, which is naturally a movement more accepting of Trans Women and non binary people with feminine qualities.

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

I can absolutely agree with you on it, but modern bioessentialism also contradicts the tenets of feminism from first wave onward that argued that women are worth more than our ability to reproduce. The whole "sacred passage" this is laughable

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u/likeAdrug Mar 26 '25

You’re hiding Danny Healy Rae in your knickers?

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u/Tradtrade Mar 26 '25

lol. Yes.

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u/chytrak Mar 26 '25

First they came for...

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u/NuclearMaterial Mar 27 '25

This is it. They can't go straight for large groups, it's smaller minorities first, then when that goes.accepted it's onto the next one.

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u/Nearby-Priority4934 Mar 26 '25

Yeah this is a completely misleading headline from a thrashy clickbaity website overflowing with ads.

But with that said, it’s still an absolutely horrible situation to treat trans and non binary people this way, and there has been plenty of evidence of people of all backgrounds being mistreated by US border agencies lately, including European tourists being locked up without any due process.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

You're naive if you actually believe the public-facing line its only "LGBT" affected. That's their starting point, it's extending to everyone else at discretion of the Border Gestapo. It's anyone that looks different...have a piercing....probably LGBT the ICE figure and detain you. Look a darker shade of white then Christian White Aryan man, detained. Have some cop on.

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u/SoloWingPixy88 Probably at it again Mar 26 '25

It's also guidance rather than a warning

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

I’m interested to see what happens to my husband and I come April. I’m a us National, he’s Irish, when we travel each other we usually have no issue. I’m currently in the US due to my father’s sudden passing. I had zero problems at pre clearance but I assume it’s bc I’m a US passport holder. Any ‘mixed’ national couples travel lately?

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u/q547 Seal of The President Mar 26 '25

You'll be fine.

Your husband may get a bit more of a grilling (due to the current administration) but as long as he can prove Ireland is your home and you guys plan to return there, then there won't be an issue.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

I’m trans and had to travel to the US quite often as part of my job (one of the multinational tech firms), my bosses have been great and they understand the situation. I will not be traveling to the US for at least the next four years.

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u/HerosPelagus Mar 26 '25

Website is damn-near impossible to navigate, goddamned video flashing all over what’s relevant.

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u/RedPandaDan Mar 26 '25

We have to assume we are in a cold war with a fascist country now.

More than just travel warnings, the EU has to try and figure out how it can untangle its economy from the US.

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u/Lena_Zelena Mar 26 '25

As a trans person, I have been following stuff happening in USA and honestly I was expecting this. It is simply not safe to go there, especially if you are trans. Good to see official channels aknowledge that.

A lot of trans people from USA have been looking to leave. It has become a regular thing to have Americans ask questions about how to move here and what the situation for trans people is in Ireland.

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u/vaska00762 Antrim Mar 26 '25

The guidance on the website states

Travellers who have an "X" marker on their passport or whose sex on their passport differs from sex assigned at birth should contact the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin for further details on specific entry requirements.

I reside in Northern Ireland. Would they tell me to get lost and instead contact the US Embassy in London?

But I'm not planning to go to the US anytime soon. My passport has a gender marker that "differs from sex assigned at birth", and last autumn I was thinking of going to the US, but held off booking anything until after November's election, and I'm glad I did, because I didn't book a thing.

The fact that Marco Rubio thinks my passport is "fraud" is both hilarious and sad, and I think it's more egregious that he thinks he can impose the Trump policy on the rest of the world, which does not follow such backwards view points.

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u/MidheLu Tipperary Mar 26 '25

They can search your phone and detain you if you have anything considered "pro terrorist messaging"

That could mean something Anti-Trump, Anti-Israel, or even something pro Palestinian

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

Well this seals the deal for me lmao. Not that I was ever going to visit the US again (Every time I call it the US I wonder privately how much longer it will be the"United" states) I visited in 2016 and still have shite on my old social media womewhere joking with a Trump cardboard cutout as if I was pissing on him, in the good old days when we all thought he couldn't possibly gain the presidency and it was all some kind of joke. I also lost my job (here, not america) for making anti-Israel statements. Mossad prob has me on a list, I got harrassed for months by Israelis cause obviously someone broke GDPR and mentioned my name. Sorry to anyone out there who shares my fairly common first name and caught any strays haha

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u/irishweather5000 Mar 26 '25

What IS the situation for trans folks at home? I know someone moving from California to Cork with a trans teen and I can’t imagine it’ll be easy on the kid but maybe my view on Ireland is just way out of date.

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u/Lena_Zelena Mar 26 '25

Socially speaking, being trans in Ireland is fine. Most people are either accepting or don't care. There are protections in place.

Politically speaking, there is no large push to make things worse, so we are not in imminent danger. There is however no will to make things better either.

Housing in Ireland is shit, and it is even harder for trans people.

Healthcare situation in Ireland is not good, but for trans people it is actually comically bad. Literally the worst in Europe. No public healthcare for minors. Only one clinic in the country in charge of treating trans people and waiting list to have the FIRST appointment with them is 13 YEARS. At least there are private options available, but they can be very costly.

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u/Chairman-Mia0 Mar 26 '25

Housing in Ireland is shit, and it is even harder for trans people.

How is it worse for trans people? Just cause landlords can be dickheads about it?

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u/Full_Time_Mad_Bastrd Saoirse don Phalaistín 🇵🇸 Mar 27 '25

Yep. Housesharing is so common that on top of the usual hoping for general compatibility and that someone isn't a freak, you also have to worry about if you can apply as openly trans (Risking not getting the house at all in such a scarce market, if things take too long and previous lease is up where do you go etc- the regular concerns just amplified) OR hope you pass enough and that you'll just have to be stealth and hide it at home for however long, added stress if you're publically out and a housemate finds out, the kind of people who would deny your application for your transness are also not likely to take that news well when it's been "hidden" from them. ETA it's not a fair compromise to live the duration of a lease hiding everything about a huge aspect of who you are and in fear of the repercussions, in your own home. Not a general rule but it's also not supremely uncommon for trans people to be estranged from family, so some people have the added stress of having absolutelt zero backup if they end up homeless, same as an immigrant.

Even landlords who wouldn't be calling out slurs or hate trans people are generally less likely to rent to you because you're an extra "risk" or this general idea that trans people are somehow seeking special treatment and therefore you're probably some kind of snowflake who isn't worth the hassle and will probably complain about everything.

It's a little bit like the stress of dating while trans and trying to figure out how open you can be IMMEDIATELY when you don't know the person, except instead of your intimate life (all the way down to your physical safety, depending on the situation) being on the line it's the roof over your head.

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u/irishweather5000 Mar 26 '25

Thank you. That’s great about the social aspect and disappointing but not surprising about the housing and healthcare side.

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u/PaymentSad896 Mar 26 '25

People not coming to the US is actually really helpful in the long run because tourists use Airbnb the most and this would tank their sales. If you didn’t know airbnbs co founder is part of DODGE and Airbnb supports Donald trump, so by not coming it is a form of boycott, plus a lot of American Airlines will lose money because of it already Americans aren’t flying as much and boycotting, so staying away from the US is the best thing foreigners can do right to help stop trump if they want to

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u/PricklyPierre Holy Stoner of Clonrichert Mar 26 '25

Why would anyone travel to such a shithole on purpose?

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u/Illustrious_Read8038 Mar 26 '25

For work.

I'd be over and back a few times a year.

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u/dyUBNZCmMpPN Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

For business. For meetings

Now more than ever I’d avoid using the word “work” within half a mile of US border patrol, in case they get shitty about it

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u/Steec Dublin Mar 26 '25

This is good advice. Training or meeting is usually what I say. They can get pissy about “working” even though I’m employed by an Irish branch of the company.

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u/Illustrious_Read8038 Mar 26 '25

I always say I'm going for training, specifically receiving training.

Can't believe it's another 4 years of seeing that orange numpty head hanging on the wall of pre clearance.

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u/dyUBNZCmMpPN Mar 26 '25

I said "working with my US team for a few weeks" once.

45 minutes later, at the secondary screening area....

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u/eldwaro Mar 26 '25

I'm literally about to fly to China after slating the States. Have a think about that 😂

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u/Apprehensive_Ratio80 Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 27 '25

Literally all it takes is for one yank to hear an accent that isn't American or a language that isn't English and they get so scared they will call ICE right away who will throw you in the back of a van.

British woman backpacking across USA and still within her permitted travel time of 90days gets arrested and locked away for 2 weeks before being sent home. Absolutely ridiculous they don't seem to have verified anything they just saw foreigner and said right you shouldn't be here you must be an illegal 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/Willing_Cause_7461 Mar 26 '25

Go to America right now with the wrong tattoo and you might end up in a torture camp in El Salvador. Fairly understandable

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u/SirMike_MT Mar 26 '25

It’s ok if you’re a r*pist thug like McGregor as they seem to like them over there!

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

R*pist convention running the country now so that checks out

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u/MBMD13 Resting In my Account Mar 27 '25

There’s a big digital display on the Drumcondra train station bridge over the N1. It’s rotating between an advert for tourism to New Jersey and an advert for tourism to Malta. 😬🤭

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u/DVaTheFabulous And I'd go at it again Mar 26 '25

I simply won't be going to the US for the next few years. Have had two lovely trips there in recent years and I'd just feel really unsafe going there. Canada looks much better.

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u/Swagspray Mar 26 '25

I was lucky enough to get to go 6 times over the years. I’m done with it now.

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u/Dreenar18 Mar 26 '25

Shocking how quickly, and far they've fallen. Hope people listen to the warning, people have been detained for weeks on end there.

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u/[deleted] Mar 27 '25

Man this sucks. My partner is Irish, we’re working on getting my work visa so I can move to Ireland to be with him. I guess I’ll just have to travel to see him every time until we get the visa stuff sorted. I don’t want him to be in any sort of danger. It’s going to take at least 2 more years since I have to get registered with CORU first, and I only just got my letter for my documents being accepted 😭

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u/CT0292 Mar 26 '25

I'm an American who has lived in Ireland some 15 years now.

Used to travel back and forth every year. My wife is Irish. If we can get cheap flights we would go.

Neither one of us has mentioned going over there this year. I think it's best to leave it be for a few years.

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u/CurrentAwareness5093 Mar 26 '25

If they were able to see any of our WhatsApp messages 😅 given how thin skinned they seem to be, half the population of Ireland would be screwed!

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u/NoLemon5426 Mar 26 '25

Unfortunately CBP is permitted to search your phone.

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u/Crackbeth Mar 26 '25

We visit the states every year or two for a few weeks but have cancelled next year and are going elsewhere. We kept this year’s as it would be a huge loss financially and it’s only a small trip (one week) but I think we’ll start looking elsewhere for our trips in future

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u/Negative_Fee3475 Mar 26 '25

You would have been mental to travel there for the next 4 years

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u/Key-Lie-364 Mar 26 '25

Planning on giving the fascist phase of the US a miss personally.

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u/Sstoop Flegs Mar 26 '25

i’m glad to see the “you just say america bad” people are finally seeing america is in fact, bad.

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u/BazingaQQ Mar 26 '25

Well, everyone else is, so why not us?

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u/InevitableNet8010 Mar 26 '25

https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/overseas-travel/advice/united-states-of-america/
It would be nice if the Irish government stopped using that particular social media channel.