“Where are we going to go now?” European Union migrants' experiences of hostility, anxiety, and (non-)belonging during Brexit: EU migration, belonging and Brexit

Guma, Taulant; Dafydd Jones, Rhys

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the 2016 European Union (EU) referendum and its aftermath from the perspective of European migrants living in Wales. Drawing on interviews conducted with EU nationals in 2016 and 2017, the article highlights various examples of hostility and violence encountered by these migrants during and after the referendum campaign, demonstrating the longstanding nature of hostile experiences. It further outlines the uncertainty and insecurity experienced during this period, noting how Brexit affected not only EU migrants' rights and entitlements but also their settlement and sense of identity and belonging. The analysis sheds light on various negative emotions and reactions triggered by the referendum, illustrating the diversity of migrants' experiences. Highlighting the multiple and complex ways in which the referendum affected the migrants, the article argues that Brexit should be understood as an ongoing process of “othering” and unsettling.

Citation

Guma, T., & Dafydd Jones, R. (2019). “Where are we going to go now?” European Union migrants' experiences of hostility, anxiety, and (non-)belonging during Brexit: EU migration, belonging and Brexit. Population, Space and Place, 25(1), Article e2198. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2198

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 31, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Sep 27, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Deposit Date: May 7, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Journal: Population, Space and Place
• Print ISSN: 1544-8444
• Electronic ISSN: 1544-8452
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: e2198
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2198
• Keywords: Geography, Planning and Development, demography, Brexit, EU migration, Wales
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1605941
• Contract Date: May 7, 2019