BREXIT, social and environmental rights: Through the looking glass: Brexit, free movement and the future

This article looks at some of the implications of Brexit for free movement of persons within the European Union, for both UK citizens and those from other EU Member States. It begins by briefly outlining the principle of free movement of persons, one of the four ‘fundamental freedoms’ set out in the EU Treaties since the Union’s foundation. The next section looks at the reasons why free movement of persons became such a fundamental issue in the UK referendum on EU membership, focusing on the issues of jobs, labour standards and welfare. The article goes on to consider possible alternatives for the UK’s relationship with the EU, post-Brexit, in terms of free movement of person rights. In the concluding section, the article considers the future of free movement of person rights within the EU itself.