Brexit, citizens’ rights and British Citizens in the EU-27, 5 years on examines the extent and scope of the issues and challenges faced by the estimated 1.2 million Britons resident in the EU's 27 member states by the end of the Brexit transition period (31 December 2020) in accessing and securing their post-Brexit status and rights. More specifically, this survey aims to identify and highlight the (a) continuing issues related to citizens’ rights and (b) new issues emerging as they move from temporary to permanent residence status.

The Brexit transition period ended 31 December 2020. Eligibility for the citizens’ rights provisions required that British citizens, formerly living in the EU as mobile citizens, were resident in (one of) the EU’s 27 member states by this date. While research has continued with EU nationals living in the UK, there is a relative paucity of information about the longer tail of Brexit for British citizens living in the EU27.

With the fifth anniversary of the end of the transition period approaching, a significant proportion of the estimated 1.2million British citizens living in the EU27 will be renewing their status, transferring from temporary to permanent residence as their initial five-year status expires. As with the initial implementation of citizens’ rights provisions, the lack of common process across the member states means that the procedures for renewal are nationally determined, with the result that this transition will be differently experienced and have potentially divergent outcomes for individuals, dependent on where they live and their personal circumstances. This makes it timely to revisit the implementation of citizens’ rights, to document and identify any issues and challenges faced by this population in securing their future rights.