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Fiona Costello

@fionacostello.bsky.social

3.9K followers 1.4K following 39 posts

☘️ Migration/ EU / Brexit researcher @ University Cambridge. Visiting Lecturer ARU, EU law and Eng Legal Systems. Fellow @ St Edmund's College, Cambridge

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · Nov 13

Sharing our book (with @cbarnard.bsky.social & Sarah Fraser Butlin) 👇 published in April this year. Discusses the experiences of low paid EU workers in the UK, pre & post Brexit and legal problems they face. Set in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. 50% discount code in post below too! (2)

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UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies) @uaces.bsky.social · 28d

UACES Virtual Conference Day is TOMORROW.
After an amazing week in Liverpool, we're continuing the research conversations online. Join us for flexible sessions across 14 panels covering everything from EU security to digital policy.
Liverpool attendees: check ConfTool for access links.
#UACES2025

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Faculty of Law @cambridgelaw.bsky.social · Sep 9

🥳 Many congratulations to @cbarnard.bsky.social, @fionacostello.bsky.social and @sarahfraserbutlin.bsky.social - their book 'Low-Paid EU Migrant Workers: The House, The Street, The Town' won the @uaces.bsky.social Best Book Prize at the annual conference last week.

More: bit.ly/4nrPb8e

'Low-Paid EU Migrant Workers: The House, The Street, The Town' Wins UACES Best Book Prize

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University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · Sep 4

NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights.

The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system.

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Silhouettes of three people in front of a weathered British flag, with the headline: Misrepresentations around human rights and immigration fuelling calls to quit ECHR, Oxford report finds

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UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies) @uaces.bsky.social · Sep 2

The winners of this year’s UACES Best Book Award goes to @fionacostello.bsky.social, @cbarnard.bsky.social and @sarahfraserbutlin.bsky.social for: Low Paid EU Migrant Workers: the House, the Street, the Town.

We congratulate all three authors on this significant achievement.

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Migration Observatory @migobs.bsky.social · Aug 1

Asylum applications in the UK hit a record high in 2024. Our updated briefing explores application numbers, grant rates, system costs, employment outcomes for people who came to the UK to seek asylum and much more. Check it out 👉 migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

Asylum and refugee resettlement in the UK - Migration Observatory

This briefing sets out key facts and figures, as well as information gaps, relating to migration to the UK, specifically refugees and asylum seekers. It looks at overall numbers, characteristics of as...

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

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Migration Observatory @migobs.bsky.social · Jul 1

After 1 year in government, has Labour made progress towards its goals on migration? We look at 5 pledges:

- Net migration↘️
- Work visas↘️
- Small boat arrivals ↗️
- Asylum backlog ↘️ but appeals backlog ↗️
- Returns↗️

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Labour’s pledges on migration, one year in: the data - Migration Observatory

This commentary examines the Labour government’s progress towards its goals on migration after a year in government.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · Jun 18

Our #refugeeweek content so far.... First up, a long read by me about the rights of refugees under the Refugee Convention. These are both weaker in many ways yet stronger in others than many realise. They represent a compromise between individual and state rights. freemovement.org.uk/what-rights-...

Briefing: What rights do refugees have under the Refugee Convention? - Free Movement

Asylum lawyers like me tend to focus on just one clause of the Refugee Convention: the definition of a refugee. This is the gateway to formal recognition as a

freemovement.org.uk

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · Jun 5

On the train to London, giving me 1 hour and 20 minutes to start
@nicolakellywrites.bsky.social 's new book "Anywhere but here. How Britain's broken asylum system fails us all" 👇

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · Jun 4

"Trying to fire a legal weapon devised to combat organised crime at the desperate mother and aunt of two young girls offers us a moment of rare moral clarity" 👇 Excellent analysis by @stevepeers.bsky.social on CJEU Kinsa judgement as well as its broader implications. 👇

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Jun 4

The CJEU has ruled that Member States cannot prosecute asylum-seeking mothers who travelled on false documents with their children as people smugglers - in a judgment with broader implications for the criminalisation of immigration.

My analysis: eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-ca...

A candle in the dark: the CJEU rules against criminalising parents for smuggling their children

Professor Steve Peers , Royal Holloway University of London Photo credit : Bologna, taken by Ввласенко , via Wikimedia Commons Introd...

eulawanalysis.blogspot.com

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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Jun 3

💥 ONE WEEK TO GO 💥

💻 Join our experts online at 1pm BST to unpack the implications, trade offs & public opinion around the UK government's migration policy

With @jdportes.bsky.social, Madeleine Sumption, @robfordmancs.bsky.social & @anandmenon.bsky.social

ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

ukandeu.ac.uk

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Migration Observatory @migobs.bsky.social · Jun 3

In last month's white paper, the government said the standard route to settlement will change from five years to ten.

Our new commentary looks at how many people could be covered by the changes and their potential impact on migrants.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Changes to settlement: what do they mean? - Migration Observatory

This commentary examines the potential impacts of the recent Immigration White Paper.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

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Emiliano Mellino @mellino.bsky.social · Jun 3

Our latest on the seasonal worker visa.

What jumped out at me when reading this government-commissioned report is that farm-owners will quite openly say that they prefer migrant workers to accrue huge levels of debt, because this pushes them to work harder so that they can pay it off.

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · Jun 2

Finally managed to write something new for my Substack. It’s on the government’s immigration white paper and its likely unintended consequences. open.substack.com/pub/wewanted...

Settlement and citizenship in Labour's white paper

The proposals will make it harder, not easier, for migrants to integrate, with negative consequences for productivity, growth and the public purse

open.substack.com

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Centrala @centralaspace.bsky.social · May 29

Under the Same Sky | Refugee Week 2025

The exhibition launches on 18 June, 7 - 9PM. For more information, take a look at the link below!

Funded by @bhamcitycouncil.bsky.social as part of the Community Rescue Fund

centrala-space.org.uk/exhibitions/...

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Jun 2

UK government scraps plans for checks on EU fruit and veg
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Fruit and veg import checks scrapped ahead of UK-EU deal

In advance of a new SPS agreement with EU, fruit and veg imports will require no fees or border checks - saving businesses time and money

www.gov.uk

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · May 29

New blog with @cbarnard.bsky.social on the ongoing issues with the EUSS, including how the paucity of (free) accredited help/advice is pushing many into the arms of advice sharks 👇 @ukandeu.bsky.social
ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-eu-ci...

Brexit and EU citizens in the UK - UK in a changing Europe

Catherine Barnard and Fiona Costello examine the issues that EU nationals navigating the EU Settlement Scheme face.

ukandeu.ac.uk

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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · May 28

"The success in terms of numbers of applications to EUSS masks the reality that for more vulnerable EU citizens, there are still long-term risks in obtaining and maintaining EUSS status"

@cbarnard.bsky.social & @fionacostello.bsky.social on the EU Settlement Scheme

ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-eu-ci...

Brexit and EU citizens in the UK - UK in a changing Europe

Catherine Barnard and Fiona Costello examine the issues that EU nationals navigating the EU Settlement Scheme face.

ukandeu.ac.uk

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · May 17

From yesterday: Briefing: How expensive are UK immigration applications and is this a problem? | Colin Yeo

Briefing: How expensive are UK immigration applications and is this a problem? - Free Movement

The cost of making an immigration or nationality application has risen extremely steeply. Annual increases of 20% or 25% per year have become standard, but

freemovement.org.uk

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · May 15

Really important and expert thread below by @cobrien.bsky.social on the Q of rights under the Withdrawal Agreement for EU Citizens in the UK 👇👇

Charlotte O'Brien @cobrien.bsky.social · May 15

*Why* does it matter that NOBODY in the UK currently knows whether or not they have Withdrawal Agreement based residence rights? A Court of Appeal judge asked this yesterday. IT MATTERS, as our evidence to the HoL European Affairs Committee explains, for 3 reasons (spolier alert: one is Windrush):

Windrush commemoration monument, by Basil Walsh: image from the House of Lords website

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Charlotte O'Brien @cobrien.bsky.social · May 15

What do we need to do before creating shiny new UK-EU reset rules? Make existing rules work properly! Our *newly published* response to the HoL consultation highlights a giant problem facing EUSS holders: a COMPLETE ABSENCE of evidence of WA rights. committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...

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Alice Welsh @awelsh.bsky.social · May 6

Are the EU free movement rules wildly out of step with the new realities of work? My new book, the MARKET CITIZENSHIP ILLUSION answers this by looking at the law in action – and it is available now to *everyone for free*! www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?do...
🧵on key arguments... (1/10)

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Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · Apr 25

🚨🚨 For those of you new here and new arrivals I did a while ago create some fairly comprehensive #starterpacks with some very bright minds. This one on #ukpolitics and #brexit is one of my favourites. All accounts well-worth following. 👇👇
go.bsky.app/NZG5maf

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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Apr 23

🧐 Want to know the origin story of UK in a Changing Europe?

Our director @anandmenon.bsky.social reveals... 👇

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · Apr 15

En route to the @slsauk.bsky.social Annual Conference. Presenting a paper tomorrow with @cbarnard.bsky.social on the Labour Law and Society Empirical Insights into Precarious Work Panel chaired by @arwenjoyce.bsky.social. Looking forward to sharing our work and hearing about lots of others! ✨️

School of Law & Social Justice at University of Liverpool @livunislsj.bsky.social · Apr 9

Countdown to #SLSA! ⏰

We’re thrilled to be hosting the SLSA Annual Conference (@slsauk.bsky.social) here in Liverpool, 15–17 April!✨

With around 900 delegates attending, it’s the UK’s biggest event for socio-legal scholars – & we can’t wait to welcome you.

More info: liverpool.ac.uk/law/slsa-2025

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Fiona Costello @fionacostello.bsky.social · Mar 26

Thank you so much for this generous recommendation, @seanjones.org 👇. If anyone is interested in reading the book, we have a 50% off code from BUP valid until the end of April. 📸👇 @cbarnard.bsky.social @sarahfraserbutlin.bsky.social

Discount code voucher for Low-Paid EU Migrant Worker Book

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