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Rebordering Britain & Britons after Brexit

Mapping social science research on Brexit and migration

This fully searchable database lists peer-reviewed journal articles on Brexit and migration published in social science journals since May 2015. It will be updated periodically. For our initial review of this body of work see our 2022 article published in Migration Studies From state of the art to new directions in research what Brexit means for migration and migrants.

578 articles

Mobile Work, Veterinary Subjectivity and Brexit: Veterinary Surgeons' Migration to the UK
This article extends studies of `global work' by considering the mobility of veterinary surgeons in the global countryside. The article develops the concept of `disease ecology':
Mobility for Me but Not for Others: The Contradictory Cosmopolitan Practices of Contemporary White British Youth
This article seeks to problematise the perception that young people are committed cosmopolitans by highlighting some of the contradictory and contingent practices that young White British youth engage in. To do so…
Moral Expressions in 280 Characters or Less: An Analysis of Politician Tweets Following the 2016 Brexit Referendum Vote
Ideas about morality are deeply entrenched into political opinions. This article examines the online communication of British parliamentarians from May 2017-December 2019, following the 2016 referendum that resulted in Britain's exit (Brexit) from the European Union.
Moral regulation and a good moral panic: UK Polish migrant workers and the 2016 EU Referendum
The UK 2016 EU Referendum has introduced a period of uncertainty for both the indigenous population and for non-British citizens. This uncertainty is considered within a framework of the recent revisions in the sociology of moral panics through an analysis of interviews with Polish migrant workers.
Motivational orientations and organizational citizenship behaviors: The moderator role of perceived discrimination in the brexit context
The current study aims to explain how motivational orientations influence organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through organizational identification considering the moderator effect of perceived discrimination. A sample of 286 Spanish immigrants in the United Kingdom was included.
Movement of Natural Persons in the Agreement for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU is an important political and legal challenge. Among the many issues it has raised, those related to mobility and residence of citizens and their families are of utmost importance. Even though UK nationals are no longer Union citizens…
National belonging post-referendum: Britons living in other EU Member States respond to “Brexit”
Following the EU Referendum, this paper tracks how pro-Remain British migrants living in other EU Member States expressed a sense of shame and dislocation in relation to their national identity. Developed from a survey of 909 British nationals living in other EU Member States…
Native-migrant labour substitution by industry and wage effects: evidence from the UK
Unlike previous studies, we estimate the native-migrant substitution elasticity (NME) differentiated by sector. To do so…
Neither hard nor soft but racist? The Good Friday Agreement and the Irish border after Brexit
This is an edited version of a talk given by a human rights activist from Belfast on 26 June 2017 at a seminar, held at IRR, to discuss the implications of 'Brexit' on the Good Friday Agreement and the UK-Ireland Common Travel Area.
New Scots? Eastern European Young People's Feelings of Belonging and National Identity in Scotland Post-Brexit
This article examines the impact of Brexit on young people aged 12-18 who had moved to Scotland from Central and Eastern Europe. It draws on empirical data collected with over 250 young people who contributed to an online survey and focus groups between 2016-2018…
Nordic Ties and British Lives? Migrant Capital and the Case of Nordic Migrants Living in London
As a hub of finance, art, design and science, the city of London has long attracted migrants interested in study and career opportunities or simply excited about living in an open, global city. Over the last few decades…
Nursing emigration in the United Kingdom: A qualitative exploration of the Spanish nursing community
Aim: To understand and describe the experiences and perceptions of migrant Spanish nurses working in the UK. Design: Online survey with open-ended questions. Methods: A total of 371 participants were recruited from online groups related to Spanish nurses working in the UK. Results:
Off EU Go? Brexit, the UK Labour Market and Immigration
Immigration remains a highly antagonistic issue and its purported effects in the labour market are still contestable. Against this background, the UK looks set to undertake a large overhaul of its immigration policy following the decision to leave the EU. To try to inform the debate…
On Brexit Worries: Migration and remittance landscapes in Timor-Leste
This chapter explores the characteristics and impacts of the unexpected and spontaneous East Timorese labour migration flow to Western Europe. It focuses on Fataluku migrants and their households of origin in Dili and home district of Lautem.
On Europe, Immigration and Inequality: Brexit as a 'Wicked Problem'
In this paper I attempt a novel interpretation of Brexit as a `wicked problem'. Wicked problems are those which are unique and complex, full of internal contradictions, and defy solution, instead only creating other problems. After reviewing the lead-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum…
Once again: Plural nationality
Plural nationality is as normal as single nationality, and it is accepted as inevitable by more and more states. It is the natural result of the existence of states and the vast and overlapping diversity of criteria for attribution of nationality.
Open arms or a clenched fist
What kind of welcome will Brexit Britain offer to refugees?
Overseas recruitment activities of NHS Trusts 2015-2018: Findings from FOI requests to 19 Acute NHS Trusts in England
Migrant nurses form an increasing proportion of the nursing workforce, with the United Kingdom (UK) being the third most popular destination for overseas nurses in the world.
People as security risks: the framing of migration in the UK security-development nexus
The migration of people across international borders has long been an area of concern for the UK and was a key issue in the public debate surrounding Brexit.
Perceived stress and well-being of Polish migrants in the UK after Brexit vote
Objective This study aimed to investigate factors affecting personal well-being of Polish immigrants living in the UK in the face of a significant political change-the Brexit vote. We measured perceived changes in attitude or behaviour of supervisors and co-workers, respondents' perceived stress…
Perceptions, experiences and accommodations of Britishness; an exploration of national identity amongst young British Sikhs and Hindus in London
This paper is centred on exploring how young people from Sikh and Hindu backgrounds, who are British born and living in the London area understand Britishness. By utilising transcripted interviews from eighty respondents…
Policy and Practice The EU referendum, planning and the environment: where now for the UK?
The referendum of 23 June 2016, in which the UK voted to leave the European Union, has potentially far-reaching implications for planning, especially its interface with environmental policy. While the five months since the referendum show stability in the world of planning practice…
Polish migrant settlement without political integration in the United Kingdom and Ireland: a comparative analysis in the context of Brexit and thin European citizenship
Following EU enlargement in 2004, the United Kingdom and Ireland experienced large-scale migration from Poland and other new EU states.
Political activism across the life course
The study of political activism has neglected people's personal and social relationships to time. Age, life course and generation have become increasing important experiences for understanding political participation and political outcomes (e.g. Brexit)…
Political ideologies: Their origins and impact
Comprehensive yet accessible, this classic text, now in its thirteenth edition follows the evolution of political thought over 300 years. Organized chronologically, this text examines each ideology within a political, historical, economic, and social context.
Post-Brexit models and migration policies: Possible citizenship and welfare implications for EU nationals in the UK
Immigration from the European Union (EU) to Britain and the assumption of ‘benefit tourism’ were some of the driving factors behind the Leave vote in the Brexit Referendum. Amid the uncertainty and complexity of Brexit…
Post-Brexit views of European Union doctors on their future in the NHS: a qualitative study
Background/aim Following large-scale surveys suggesting that large proportions of European doctors are considering leaving the National Health Service (NHS) following the Brexit referendum, this was the first qualitative study assessing if, and how, Brexit has affected European Union (EU)…
Postimperial Melancholia and Brexit
The lead-up to and the aftermath of the 2016 referendum on the United King-dom's membership in the European Union have been characterized by particular psychic reactions and affective states: shock, perplexity, anxiety, guilt, paranoia, anger, depression, delusion, and manic elation.
Preconditions of sustainable entrepreneurship: Estimating of Brexit scenarios impact on macroeconomic environment
Sustainability of entrepreneurial activities is determined on array of factors. Smart, skillful management remains among the most important preconditions of successful development of financially healthy business enterprise.
Profiles of registrant dentists and policy directions from 2000 to 2020
Introduction The National Health Service's reliance on overseas doctors and nurses, unlike dentists, has been widely reported. As the United Kingdom (UK) leaves the European Union, an understanding of the migration trends and possible influences are important to inform future planning.
Public health practitioners' perspectives of migrant health in an English region
Objectives: Migration is a complex and contested topic of public debate. Professionals working in public health must negotiate this politicised complexity, yet few studies examine the perspectives and practices of public health professionals in relation to migrant health.
Push, Pull and Brexit: Polish Migrants' Perceptions of Factors Discouraging them from Staying in the UK
The fate of European citizens living in the United Kingdom was a key issue linked with Britain's departure from the European Union. Official statistics show that some outflow has taken place, but it was no Brexodus. This article investigates Brexit's impact within a theoretical (push-pull)…
Racial profiling in immigration control
This article assesses how the discriminatory practice of racial profiling exists and can undermine a human rights-based system of immigration control in Northern Ireland. Post-Brexit there is a possibility that this practice may increase in Northern Ireland…
Racialized Affectivities of (Un)Belonging: Mixed (Race) Couples in the Shadow of Brexit
This paper explores the affective economy of (un)belonging, revealed by the UK decision to withdraw from the European Union (EU). Emerging social science research on so-called `Brexit' focuses on the anticipated effects of a stricter UK immigration regime on the lives of EU citizens and families.
Racism and xenophobia experienced by Polish migrants in the UK before and after Brexit vote
In recent years the public discourses on Polish migration in the UK have rapidly turned hostile, especially in the context of economic crisis in 2008, and subsequently after the EU referendum in 2016.