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Genetic studies of recently established populations are challenging because the assumption of equilibrium underlying many analyses is likely to be violated. Using microsatellites, we investigated determinants of genetic structure and migration among invasive European‐Chinese mitten crab populations, applying a combination of traditional population genetic analyses and nonequilibrium Bayesian methods. Consistent with their recent history, invasive populations showed much lower levels of genetic diversity than a native Chinese population, indicative of recent bottlenecks. Population differentiation was generally low but significant and especially pronounced among recently established populations. Significant differentiation among cohorts from the same geographical location (River Thames) suggests the low effective population size and associated strong genetic drift that would be anticipated from a very …