Social Diplomacy 2026: Racialised European Diaspora post Brexit

Summary

The Social Diplomacy Summit 2026, taking place on 7 May 2026 at Bristol City Council City Hall, will bring together racialised European communities, Diplomats, policymakers, researchers and civil society actors to advance the external dimension of the EU Anti‑Racism Action Plan 2026–2030 through collective, partnership-based action to protect Racialised European Diaspora.

Organised by Black Europeans, the Summit responds to growing evidence that racialised EU citizens living in the UK — and British citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds residing across the EU — continue to experience structural, institutional and everyday racism in the post‑Brexit context. We have made significant progress in bringing the challenges our community faces to the attention of our representatives and have worked together with the EU and its Member States' diplomatic mission in the UK to establish landmark mechanisms to give a voice to EU citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds. However, structural challenges persist despite EU-level equality commitments, highlighting the need for lived-experience-led coordinated anti‑racism action beyond EU borders and for continued support from the EU and Member States' diplomatic missions.

The issue:

Brexit has fundamentally changed the lives of EU citizens who have made the UK their home for decades. Five years after the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, Brexit continues to affect the fundamental rights of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens living across EU Member States. However, evidence shows that these effects did not impact all citizens equally, with racialised EU citizens facing structural and institutional barriers to equal access to rights and protections.

The evidence

· For British citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds residing in the 27 EU countries, structural, institutional and everyday racism is business as usual (Beson & Lewis, 2019).

· In the UK, the introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), intended to protect residency rights, has exposed persistent equality blind spots that continue to place around 800000 minority European citizens at heightened risk of exclusion, loss of rights, and long-term insecurity (Parker et al., 2025).

· The Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) report that over a third (35%) of EU and EEA EFTA citizens in the UK feel “discriminated against” by public bodies since Brexit, with half of those experiencing discrimination coming from ethnic minority backgrounds (IMA, 2025).

· Recent studies commissioned by the EU Delegation have reinforced these concerns, prompting leading scholars to warn of a risk of “a repeat of the Windrush scandal” (Parker et al., 2026).

The progress

Over the past five years, we have developed innovative lived-experience engagement strategies and have collaborated with the European External Service Action (EEAS) and Member States to create mechanisms to facilitate meaningful dialogues between social-justice advocates and EU Diplomats.

These collaborations have delivered concrete, evidence-based outcomes, including the European Minority Ethnic Citizens (EUROMEC) , research on race and ethnicity, and closer engagement with embassies and consulates, as well as the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), contributing to landmark system change in the EU, particularly in the EEAS.

While significant progress has been made, the evidence above raises concerns, prompting leading experts to warn that there is a risk of “a repeat of ‘the Windrush scandal”. This warning underscores the need for continued attention and coordinated action.

About the Summit

Against this backdrop, the Social Diplomacy Summit will provide a platform for policy dialogue, operational cooperation, and partnership‑building between EU institutions, Member States, and civil society. Grounded in lived experience and robust evidence, the Summit will:

1. Contribute to the development of anti-racism policies across EU external relations, consular protection, and equality frameworks, in line with the EU’s commitments under the Union of Equality.

2. Highlight the challenges faced by racialised European diaspora, beyond the UK, and celebrate landmark successful collaborations with the EEAS, Member states and community leaders.

3. Promote social diplomacy as a proven lived experience engagement strategy to advance the EU’s commitment to promoting equality for all.

The Summit directly supports the implementation of the EU Anti‑Racism Strategy 2026–2030 by:

• addressing structural racism beyond the EU’s borders,
• strengthening partnerships with civil society and affected communities, and
• reinforcing inclusive, participatory, and evidence-based governance.

As the European Union advances its anti‑racism agenda for 2026–2030, sustained cooperation, institutional accountability, and the meaningful participation of racialised communities remain essential. The Social Diplomacy Summit represents a concrete contribution to translating the EU’s anti‑racism commitments into practical external action, ensuring that fundamental rights, equality, and human dignity are upheld for all.

What to expect: Programme Highlights

This Summit will feature:

· Opening led by , a Brussels-based commentator, analyst, and strategist specialising in EU affairs, geopolitics, and global policy, with a focus on Europe, Asia, and Africa.

· A keynote address by , Jacques Delors Professor in European Union Law, Director of the Institute for European and Comparative Law, at the University of Oxford

· Dr Simone Varriale, Lecturer in Sociology, Loughborough University, whose new book investigated how intersecting inequalities of class, race and gender shape post-2008 Italian migration to the UK

· Dr Owen Parker, Senior Lecturer in European Politics, who led the study on Ethnic Minority EU Citizens in the UK

· Dr Katharine Charsley, Professor of Migration Studies at the University of Bristol, who led the Brexit Couples Project

· Mrs Mercy Osi-Poku, National Community Engagement, Africa lead, at the Home Office

· High-level dialogue between racialised Europeans, diplomats and policymakers

· Lived‑experience panels examining the impact of post‑Brexit equality blind spots

· Workshops on equality data collection, education technology and surveillance, Brexit-affected families, and racialised European youth

· Tailored legal, immigration and advisory support sessions

Each element of the programme is designed to support the EU Anti‑Racism Action Plan’s emphasis on evidence-based policy, community partnership and coordinated action across borders.

Who Should Attend

The Summit is open to EU citizens, community leaders, civil society organisations, anti‑racism practitioners, researchers, legal professionals, policymakers and diplomats committed to advancing racial justice through partnership, accountability and shared responsibility within and beyond the European Union

#SocialDiplomacy2026 #RacialisedEuropeanDiaspora @Black_Europeans

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