Brexit negotiations need to address a wide range of issues. The withdrawal has one serious implication for Northern Ireland -- the return of a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
Travelling from Belfast to Dublin, you hardly notice the Irish border. Perhaps the only indication is a change in the style of road signs -- from miles to kilometers. Once the UK leaves, this will be the only land boundary between Britain and the European Union.
Open borders were the cornerstone of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland. There are worries about how Brexit will affect the Common Travel Area, which allows the free movement of people between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
British politicians have reassured Northern Ireland that a hard border would not return. But many are unconvinced. It is difficult to see how the open border can survive Brexit.
'Yes, there was a Common Travel Area prior to the two states joined the European Economic Community as it was in 1973, but both states joined together. They both joined the EEC together. So the Common Travel Area remain intact after the accession to the EEC. If one state leaves, and the other one remains within the EU. Then I am afraid the Common Travel Area will have serious questions,” said Prof. Cathal McMall, Queen's University Belfast.
The border issue also weighs on how the UK is preparing negotiations with the EU. If Britain decides to leave the EU customs union as well, maintaining the invisible border would be more complicated. Customs checks will affect cross-border trade between north and south.
"During the Brexit debate, we are assured by political leader that there will be no hard border and we need those answers. We just couldn’t possibly return to have a hard border here. We do understand there may be some kind of controls at the border, but million of pounds of goods and services are crossing our border every day. The return of border control would have huge implications here for our economy,” said Mary Meehan, CEO of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade.
Northern Ireland has enjoyed relative peace after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. At the Irish border, the heavily-armored police checkpoints and customs officers have long gone. Any return would have a psychological impact on those who lived through the conflict.
"We are two or three decades of peace process here. There is no going back to what was like. But again you know, absolutely in my opinion there my be some sort of custom control but not hard border, there will be not there won’t be one,” said Gary Lenaghan, local resident.
It is hard to see any practical solutions until the UK reveals the details of its Brexit plan. What is more important: This is a decision that won’t be determined by the UK alone. The remaining 27 EU counties will also have their say.
