Following Brexit, European Union citizens now find their rights to live and work in the UK have changed and they had to make an application under the European Union Settlement Scheme, established under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, by 30 June 2021 to enable them to continue to live in the UK lawfully. This article examines the experience and perceptions of those navigating the European Union Settlement Scheme and how they feel about life in the UK post-Brexit. It raises questions about identity and belonging. We also examine the other routes European Union nationals, and their family members, are choosing to use to secure their status in the UK. Our research highlights how the impacts of Brexit and European Union Settlement Scheme are unevenly felt and experienced by different European Union national groups. The article concludes that it is likely that we will only be able to measure the true extent of the ‘success’ of the European Union Settlement Scheme after the application gateway has closed on 30 June 2021, by learning what happens to those who fall between the gap, especially those more vulnerable.

英国脱欧后，欧盟公民现在发现他们在英国生活和工作的权利发生了变化，他们必须在 2021 年 6 月 30 日之前根据根据脱欧协议条款建立的欧盟定居计划提出申请继续合法居住在英国。本文考察了那些参与欧盟定居计划的人的经历和看法，以及他们对脱欧后英国生活的感受。它提出了关于身份和归属的问题。我们还研究了欧盟国民及其家人选择用来确保其在英国的身份的其他途径。我们的研究强调了不同欧盟国家群体对英国退欧和欧盟解决方案的影响如何不均衡地感受和体验。