Opening the Pandora’s Box of EU Citizenship: Online Mobilisation During Brexit

The UK can be considered ‘the most deeply integrated member state’ in terms of freedom of movement (Favel, 2014). 3.5 million non-British EU citizens are estimated to be living in the UK, with 1.2 million British citizens living in other EU countries. With the UK’s vote to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, a Pandora’s box of EU citizenship has been opened. For the first time, the possibility of a withdrawal of EU citizenship from EU citizens en masse is looming. The referendum vote has resulted in the launch of new social media campaigns that aim to keep Britain in the EU despite the vote and protect the rights of EU citizens, alongside counter campaigns that push for the trigger of Article 50 and/or a hard Brexit. This paper uses a mixed methods design to examine how EU citizenship is defended and contested during Brexit. Firstly, it offers quantitative analysis of Facebook pages to identify the kinds of issues and themes that are raised in online spaces with regards to Brexit and the demographics of those who participate. Secondly, through in-depth interviews with those engaged in the campaigns, we seek to understand how people perceive (the loss of) EU citizenship and narrate their experiences of Brexit and their European and national identities. By investigating how EU citizenship is understood when it is under threat, we can understand its subjective meaning beyond its legal status and associated rights.