Feeding a xenosceptic culture: legal and administrative penalties for being European

Theories of EU citizenship and equal treatment can seem optimistic and inclusive in academic study, but are somewhat at odds with the reality of being an EU migrant. This presentation draws upon findings of the EU Rights Project which tests out the accessibility of EU welfare rights in the UK, through taking on cases, representing clients, and conducting a parallel ethnography of the claims and appeals processes. These findings are placed in the context of significant general recent welfare reform, and reforms targeting EU nationals specifically, suggesting that the motivation for dismantling institutionalised obstacles to accessing rights and accessing justice may be seriously impaired by the messages of suspicion and aversion created through the law.