معرفی
Fiona Costello is a Researcher at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Law, specializing in migration law and Brexit impacts. She co-leads the ESRC-funded EU Migrant Worker Project with Professor Catherine Barnard through the UK in a Changing Europe Programme, focusing on low-paid EU nationals in the UK.
Her research interests center on the practical implementation of migration policies, particularly the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). She examines how bureaucratic processes affect vulnerable communities, including issues with digital application barriers, paper-based alternatives, and the intersection of immigration status with housing insecurity and labor rights abuses. Her work highlights systemic challenges in 'hostile environment' policies through community-led research partnerships.
Costello's publication trends reveal consistent focus on frontline implementation gaps in migration policies since 2021. Her research spans digital governance challenges, labor exploitation in sectors like poultry processing, and the compounded vulnerabilities of EU migrants during crises like the pandemic. The work consistently bridges academic analysis with community advocacy, emphasizing the human impact of policy design.
She maintains strong partnerships with frontline organizations including GYROS and ACCESS in Norfolk/Suffolk, ensuring research reflects ground-level realities. Her methodology uniquely combines academic rigor with community-led insights from over a decade of direct support work with migrant communities.
Costello's advisory work focuses on translating research into practical policy improvements, particularly regarding vulnerable groups' access to legal support. Her grant portfolio includes ESRC funding through the UK in a Changing Europe initiative, with additional support from community organizations for localized impact projects.
Her research operates through deep collaboration with community advice agencies, treating them as equal research partners rather than data sources. This approach creates living laboratories for policy implementation analysis in real-time migration contexts.
