The way EU citizens have been affected by Brexit has attracted ample policy and research interest. Apart from changes at national level, local authorities are key actors in supporting EU citizens in the post-Brexit era.
On the 7 of March 2022 Dr Zana Vathi gave a talk on the impact of Brexit on the EU citizens living in the North West. Her talk entitled ‘EU citizens in Liverpool post-Brexit: Exploring their migrantisation and vulnerabilities’ was part of a stakeholders workshop organized by the Liverpool City Council. The event brought together key stakeholders in the region from the state and third sector.
Zana’s talk touched upon various responses to Brexit among EU citizens, as well as barriers and opportunities for policy making at local level. In particular, she emphasised the importance of recognizing the enormous social and cultural capital of EU citizens and the importance this has for the approach local authorities should take towards their settlement in the area.
Liverpool City Council aims to utilise the key suggestions and feedback from the event to further develop its migration policy and strategy with a view to support migrant communities and local communities. The recommendations from the event will be utilised to integrate support for EU citizens in the North West into ‘Our Liverpool’ – the migration strategy that outlines the city’s approach to migration and settlement in the city.