Spanish nationals in the United Kingdom. The Impact of Brexit: Flows, Consequences and Narratives

This article analyses the socio-demographic impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union on recent Spanish emigrants living in the UK. The political process resulted in a change in the status of Spanish nationals living in the United Kingdom. They became subject to immigration regulations, effectively reclassified as foreign immigrants. The study will examine the inflow and outflow of Spaniards from the United Kingdom, as well as the impact of the political process on their decision to stay, return or re-emigrate. The methodology employed is twofold. Firstly, the study focused on the quantitative analysis of migration based on microdata from the Residential Variations Survey. Furthermore, 18 interviews with Spanish emigrants who were resident in the United Kingdom during the Brexit process (2016-2020) were conducted and analysed. The interviews examined the participants’ views of the Brexit process and the effects on their daily lives as migrants in the United Kingdom. The findings indicate a unanimous rejection of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union by Spanish emigrants. At the same time, respondents did not encounter hostile attitudes in their daily lives. Finally, it is confirmed that the exit process mainly affects those who have been resident in the United Kingdom for a shorter time, and affects those who were able to obtain permanent resident status much less. © 2024, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. All rights reserved.

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