Migration Policy and Welfare Chauvinism in the United Kingdom: European Divergence or Trend-Setting?

Abstract Growing hostility towards large-scale immigration following the EU enlargement (2004) and, later, increase in South-North flows due to global financial crisis (2008), played a major role Brexit referendum of 2016. This marked departure United Kingdom from European Union and its mechanisms “free movement”. Such was not framed simply terms xenophobia but, rather, as “welfare chauvinism”. chapter critically examines last few decades policy political debates around intra-European migration Kingdom, key trends that have led (not so) unpredictable referendum, scenarios which been set motion with UK-EU Agreement 2020. In spite strong sense British exceptionalism has informed UK discussions, some fundamentals underpinning this process much common what we are witnessing elsewhere Europe, stratification (welfare) rights for different categories migrants being used pragmatic – if cynical mechanism regulate entry settlement. fact, at institutional level appears yet rapture within framework, may end up revealing itself part wider trend among both Northern Southern regimes: restrictionist reconfiguration welfare-migration nexus. race welfare bottom is only affecting newly arrived migrants, but eroding population.