Brexit has left “lasting scars” on EU citizens living in the UK, according to research

Six years after the EU referendum, Brexit has left “lasting scars” on European citizens living in the UK, according to a new study.

Two-thirds of UK and EEA citizens living in the UK said the Brexit had “significantly – and most negatively – affected their feelings towards the UK”, said researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Lancaster.

And many of the 364 people interviewed said Brexit had prompted them to rethink their future in the UK and undermined their confidence in British institutions and politicians.

Commenting on the experience of many participants, a 64-year-old French-born naturalized British respondent said: “I will always remember that Thursday in 2016 when I woke up and saw the result.

“I cried. I had to go to work. I felt betrayed, unheard, carefree, left to wonder about my life in the UK and what the point was.”

Respondents expressed a strong sense of commitment to the EU sparked by the referendum and subsequent Brexit talks.

A 55-year-old woman with dual citizenship said she only had a “vague” understanding of the EU before the referendum, but added: “I learned a lot more about the EU since 2016 and came to admire the project and its positive impact on EU citizens. “

A 35-year-old Irish citizen told researchers: “I now identify with the EU as my home country, I identify as an EU citizen before identifying with any nationality.”

Although the majority of respondents have settled status or British citizenship, legal status and the right of residence remain major concerns of EU citizens interviewed, which affect their thinking about future plans to stay in the UK.

Opening the report on the sixth anniversary of the Brexit deal, lead author Professor Nando Sigona of the University of Birmingham said:

“Strong feelings of insecurity, anxiety and sadness coexist with a sense of home and opportunity, the latter prevailing in England, while more positive feelings are expressed by those living in Scotland and Wales.

“Restoring confidence is a challenge when the effects of Brexit still have such profound consequences for the lives of EU citizens in the UK.

The interrogation took place between December 2021 and January 2022, a year after the end of the Brexit transition period.