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Idea of UK border controls in Ireland is ridiculous, says Irish MEP Irish Republic signals support for UK plan to avoid post-Brexit 'hard border'
(about 3 hours later)
The notion that Ireland would conduct immigration controls for the British government on Irish soil has been branded “ridiculous” by politicians dealing with the impact of Brexit on the country. The Irish government has signalled support for UK plans to shift the frontline of immigration controls to Ireland’s ports and airports post-Brexit in an attempt to avoid a “hard border” between the north and the south.
The republic’s finance minister, Michael Noonan, said neither the Irish nor the UK government wanted a hard border once Northern Ireland has left the EU alongside the rest of Britain.
He told the Irish Times: “If you do not have a border going from Newry, going across, dividing Sligo and Donegal from the northern counties, the next step is to have controls at the ports. That would mean Rosslare and Larne [sea ports] and the airports, but that wouldn’t be much more than the normal checks we have at airports already, where you show your passport.”
Frances Fitzgerald, the Irish deputy prime minister, said her government was agreeable to the plan, adding there was “not anything surprising” in the proposals.
Earlier James Brokenshire, the UK’s Northern Ireland secretary, said London and Dublin would work together to strengthen Ireland’s external borders in order to combat illegal migration into the UK once it leaves the EU.
However, some Irish politicians said the notion of using Irish ports and airports to control immigration into the UK was “ridiculous”.
Matt Carty, an Irish MEP, said British immigration problems should be the least of Ireland’s worries, given economic and social turmoil caused directly by the referendum result.Matt Carty, an Irish MEP, said British immigration problems should be the least of Ireland’s worries, given economic and social turmoil caused directly by the referendum result.
He said: “The Irish government and a succession of its representative have been deferential to the British government from time to time. What we are saying is that this is not an occasion for this. We need to be pointing out the needs of this island and making demands for the Irish people. He said: “The Irish government and a succession of its representative have been deferential to the British government from time to time. What we are saying is that this is not an occasion for this. We need to be pointing out the needs of this island and making demands for the Irish people. It is not their job to be pushing for the wishes of the British government.”
“It is not their job to be pushing for the wishes of the British government.” Carty said British immigration controls were the smallest of the problems to have arisen from the June referendum. “Brexit has presented a huge amount of challenges for the Irish government in terms of the trading relationship with Britain both to the UK and between Northern Ireland and Ireland. To add on the task of immigration controls, I think is ridiculous.
Carty was responding to revelations that Britain is seeking to shift the frontline of immigration controls to Ireland’s ports and borders to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland, which is remaining an EU member, and Northern Ireland, which will be leaving the EU along with the rest of the UK. “This island will suffer more than anyone else … because of Brexit in terms of the economy, the social issues and the political issues.”
He said British immigration controls were the least of the problems to have arisen from the June referendum. “Brexit has presented a huge amount of challenges for the Irish government in terms of the trading relationship with Britain both to the UK and between Northern Ireland and Ireland. To add on the task of immigration controls, I think is ridiculous,” said Carty. Carty, who lives in the border town of Carrickmacross and is the Sinn Féin MEP for the Midlands North-West constituency of Ireland, said any hardening of the border would have a devastating effect on communities.
“This island will suffer more than anyone else… because of Brexit in terms of the economy, the social issues and the political issues.” About 34,000 people cross the border each day, whether commuting for work, shopping or travelling to college and universities.
The MEP, who lives in the border town of Carrickmacross and is the Sinn Féin representative in Strasbourg for the Midlands North-West constituency of Ireland, said the impact of “any hardening of the border” would have a devastating affect on communities.
This, he said, was the priority, as about 34,000 people cross the border every day – whether commuting for work, shopping or travelling to college and universities.
“Where I come from there are 12 roads into the north. The idea that these are going to be patrolled by the British army are slim. They couldn’t seal the border at the height of the Troubles so it is unlikely now. But that is not the point. Any hardening of the border on this island is unwelcome,” said Carty.“Where I come from there are 12 roads into the north. The idea that these are going to be patrolled by the British army are slim. They couldn’t seal the border at the height of the Troubles so it is unlikely now. But that is not the point. Any hardening of the border on this island is unwelcome,” said Carty.
His remarks come after former taoiseach John Bruton recently warned of the “incalculable consequences” Brexit would have on trade. The former taoiseach John Bruton recently warned of the “incalculable consequences” that Brexit would have on trade.
“The underlying assumption of the Good Friday agreement … was that both parts of Ireland would be included in a zone of free movement of goods and people; an assumption that is in the process of being unilaterally reversed by the UK side’s decision to leave that zone. Brexit will thus devastate trade flows, and human contact, within Ireland, with incalculable consequences,” he said in an article in the Financial Times. “The underlying assumption of the Good Friday agreement … was that both parts of Ireland would be included in a zone of free movement of goods and people, an assumption that is in the process of being unilaterally reversed by the UK side’s decision to leave that zone. Brexit will thus devastate trade flows, and human contact, within Ireland, with incalculable consequences,” he said in an article in the Financial Times.
Britain is Ireland’s largest export partner, with €1.3bn a week traded between the two countries. The collapse of sterling since the referendum has devastated small businesses, who have seen the cost of exporting rise by as much as 17%.Britain is Ireland’s largest export partner, with €1.3bn a week traded between the two countries. The collapse of sterling since the referendum has devastated small businesses, who have seen the cost of exporting rise by as much as 17%.
It has also seen a return to booming cross-border trade, with Irish shoppers travelling to the north for cheaper goods including petrol, clothing and footwear and groceries.It has also seen a return to booming cross-border trade, with Irish shoppers travelling to the north for cheaper goods including petrol, clothing and footwear and groceries.
The measures being mooted by the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, are aimed primarily at controlling non-EU citizens using Ireland as a gateway to Britain. The measures mooted by Brokenshire are aimed primarily at controlling non-EU citizens using Ireland as a gateway to Britain.
Mairead McGuinness, a Fine Gael party MEP for the same constituency as Carty’s, told RTE radio in Dublin that the question of immigration controls post Brexit was conjecture as no one knew what Britain wanted. Mairead McGuinness, a Fine Gael MEP for the same constituency as Carty’s, told RTE radio in Dublin that the question of immigration controls post-Brexit was conjecture as no one knew what Britain wanted.
Sources close to the Irish government say they are relaxed that it is not a significant issue currently. Sources close to the Irish government say they do not feel it is a significant issue currently. They are also relaxed about the notion that EU citizens might come to Dublin and then cross the EU border into Northern Ireland as a means of getting illegal access to the UK.
They are also relaxed about the notion that EU citizens might come to Dublin and then cross the EU border into Northern Ireland as a means of getting illegal access to the UK.
“In our experience EU migrants want to work. They would not be seeking work in Northern Ireland because it isn’t there and if they tried to fly out of Belfast or get the Ferry in Larne they would be subjected to British border controls and would be stuck,” said the source.“In our experience EU migrants want to work. They would not be seeking work in Northern Ireland because it isn’t there and if they tried to fly out of Belfast or get the Ferry in Larne they would be subjected to British border controls and would be stuck,” said the source.