Life after Migration: Opportunities and Challenges for Young Europeans in Brexit Britain: Longitudinal Survey and Qualitative Interview, 2022-2024

The MigYouth project investigated the post-migration transitions and pathways to citizenship for young Europeans (aged 16-26) in Britain in the aftermath of the UK withdrawal from the European Union. The project aimed to to understand how young Europeans navigate life after migration and plan for the future in the context of post-Brexit visa systems, the covid-19 pandemic recovery and the rising cost of living. These young people have spent their formative years experiencing multiple transitions and border-crossings related to moving home, learning English, changing education systems, finding work in a precarious and austere economic climate and forming key relationships in the context of divisive political rhetoric surrounding immigration.

The study engaged with over 1500 young Europeans across the UK to build an understanding of youth transitions in education and employment, and how these shape prospects for citizenship and settlement in the UK.

This collection consists of three datasets:
1) a longitudinal survey documenting the experiences of European migrant youth at key transitions between education and work. Survey wave 1 was released in Spring 2023 and includes demographic data, rates of satisfaction with education, work, housing and health, perspectives on UK immigration process and systems, including EUSS, expereinces of discrimination and racism and impacts of Brexit and covid-19 pandemic. Survey wave 2 was released in Spring 2024 and includes repeat questions to track change over time, as well as new sections on political participation and mental health.
There are two versions of the survey data, the one containing partial postcodes is only available with the depositor permission.

2) Qualitative interviews and focus groups with 42 young Europeans to gather perspectives on education, work and lifecourse transitions in the context of migration to the UK. Interviews were carried out, but not limited to, four case study locations across the UK: Wolverhampton and the West Midlands; Glasgow and Central Scotland; Swansea and Carmarthenshire; Belfast and Northern Ireland border counties.

3) a co-produced podcast series entitled 'Im Migrant', recorded by young Europeans in Glasgow in Summer 2024 and launched in December 2024.