This chapter analyses the social rights of EU migrant citizens. It situates EU citizenship and social rights in relation to the concept of social citizenship and provides an overview of the historical development of the legal framework that underpins EU citizenship and associated social rights. These developments are subsequently contextualized taking into account the development of intra-European migration and EU migrant citizens’ eligibility and access to social rights. The chapter concludes by highlighting the continued stratified nature of social citizenship within the EU even after the formal introduction of EU citizenship.

The authors analyse the development of EU social policy, highlighting the limited role of the EU and the dominant role of Member States in determining social rights and outcomes. The chapter provides the context for the subsequent analyses.