In February 2026, the report Ethnic Minority EU Citizens in the UK was published with funding from the EU Delegation to the UK. The research brings together academics and organisations working directly with racialised EU citizens navigating the UK’s changing immigration system following Brexit.
The report seeks to explore the lived experiences of ethnic minority EU citizens, address a critical knowledge gap and support the development of policy recommendations. While the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) has been widely analysed in terms of numbers and status outcomes, far less attention has been paid to how ethnicity shapes the lived experience of EU citizens in the UK post Brexit.
Explore the full research series via our Research Hub.
A systemic gap in knowledge
According to census data, around 800,000 EU citizens living in the UK are from ethnic minority backgrounds approximately 15% of the EU population in the country. Yet ethnicity has not been recorded in Home Office EUSS data.
This absence of ethnicity data creates a structural blind spot. Without it, policymakers and institutions cannot properly assess whether outcomes are equitable across different communities. Patterns of racial disparity cannot be systematically measured and structural discrimination risks being normalised in this system simply because it is not captured.
By funding this research, the EU Delegation has supported work that brings lived experience into the evidence base helping to fill a gap left by official data collection.
Important findings
The report’s findings go beyond technical immigration application issues but considers socio-economic status and awareness of rights, revealing how ethnic minority EU citizens face structural inequalities.
Ethnic minority EU citizens are more likely to experience unemployment, lower education levels and limited English proficiency. Many reported discrimination and insecurity, alongside low awareness of their rights and of oversight bodies such as the Independent Monitoring Authority.
Many ethnic minority EU citizens experience a heightened anxiety and mistrust in their engagement with immigration systems, shaped by experiences of racism and negative narratives about migration. This affects not only whether and how people apply, but how confidently they assert their rights afterwards.
The digital-only nature of immigration status interacts with existing inequalities. In navigating status, Ethnic minority EU citizens were more likely than White EU nationals to face refusals, delays and technical barriers under the EUSS. Black applicants reported problems with digital photo recognition. Many struggled to upgrade from pre-settled to settled status, secure status for children or non-EU family members, or access welfare due to inconsistent application of safeguards.
In addition, the digital-only system increased vulnerability, particularly for those with limited English or digital skills as well as insecure housing or employment and created risks of exploitation by unregulated advisers. These risks are heightened where individuals lack clear understanding of their rights or fear engagement with authorities.
These findings point to a systemic gap: where ethnicity is not recorded, disparities remain hidden, and affected communities lack the evidence needed to press for change. The absence of comprehensive data under the EUSS has made it harder to assess whether the Withdrawal Agreement is being implemented equally in practice.
The EU Delegation is committed to safeguarding the rights of all EU citizens in the UK, and supporting this research makes clear how diverse EU citizens are affected by the post-Brexit implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement; a critical first step toward ensuring that no community is excluded in practice.
Visit our Research Hub to explore more studies and insights into migration and mobility across the UK and Europe.
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