EU citizens have been asked to share their experiences of how Brexit has changed their plans in the UK and how their local, national and European identities have been affected by it.
The online survey is part of a research project called Brexit: EU citizens’ collective action and the emergence of a European diaspora, which is being conducted by Professor Tanja Bueltmann and Dr Alexandra Bulat at Strathclyde University.
A grassroots organisation of EU citizens living in the UK, the3million, is collaborating on the initiative to try to reach as many Europeans as possible.
The research is also trying to establish the extent to which EU citizens feel represented in UK politics and society and what action they have taken in campaigning for their rights.
Bueltmann said it was part of a project on the experiences of EU citizens post-Brexit which she leads at the university, with Bulat as a research associate. It was launched yesterday and will run for a month. Reports last month suggested that almost five million EU citizens had now registered to stay in the UK and more were expected to come in before the EU Settlement Scheme ends on June 30.
Around 4.49 million applications have been made for first timers and those who changed from temporary pre-settled status to full settled status.
However, staying here is also expensive – it would cost a family of four up to £5000 to become British citizens – and for the same price, a report by Tory MP Alberto Costa found that people could become citizens of Australia, Canada, France or the US.
His report also said children born in the UK should be allowed to be British by birth automatically – a policy that was in place before Britain joined the EEC, the precursor to the EU – a move that would have the backing of some 61% of the public.
Bueltmann said they hoped the UK and devolved governments and the Home Office would be interested in the findings. She told The National: “The survey covers a broad range of topics from questions to do with the status of EU citizens to much wider questions about their identity and sense of belonging post-Brexit, but also questions about how EU citizens feel represented in the UK now (or not). We really are in uncharted waters in this new post-Brexit world now, so there is an important moment for reflection and understanding issues that continue to weigh on the minds of EU citizens.
“They are part of communities all around the UK and we hope the research we are conducting now can help shape debates and policymaking moving forward by providing vital new data, but also opportunities for EU citizens to share their experiences. That is also why we hope to attract as diverse a range of respondents to the survey as possible so that we have a good dataset for analysis from mid-March.”
The survey can be found here.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here