Critical analysis of British migration policies and political discourse post-Brexit: redefining EU citizens’ rights
Brexit constitutes a major turning point in British migration policy for EU citizens, who had previously enjoyed residence and work rights under the principle of free movement. The end of free movement for EU citizens has fundamentally changed their legal status and their access to British territory...
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| Publicado en: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/osb, |
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| Autor Principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
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Observatoire de la société britannique
2026
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| Acceso en liña: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Résumé: | Brexit constitutes a major turning point in British migration policy for EU citizens, who had previously enjoyed residence and work rights under the principle of free movement. The end of free movement for EU citizens has fundamentally changed their legal status and their access to British territory and social rights. This article analyses how Brexit has redefined British migration policies and the rights of EU citizens. Drawing on discursive neo-institutionalism and a critical analysis of institutional documents, legislative texts and political discourse, the study examines how ideas and rhetorical frames have shaped and legitimised post-Brexit migration legal reforms, with particular attention to the EU Settlement Scheme and the points-based immigration system. The findings show that these reforms have restricted rights and introduced selection mechanisms based on legal status, skills and identity criteria. The EU Settlement Scheme and the points-based system not only select intra-EU migrants according to identity and merit but also reaffirm British state sovereignty through differentiated access to territory and rights. The analysis demonstrates that political discourses framing migration governance in terms of security, sovereignty and national identity have persisted despite changes in government, shaping migration governance under both Conservative and Labour governments. These results suggest that post-Brexit reforms reflect enduring political and ideological frameworks, producing a selective stratification of EU mobility and a conditional redefinition of EU citizens’ rights in the United Kingdom. |
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