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> Crucial questions about how to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic — a border abolished in the Good Friday Agreement, the reintroduc

> Crucial questions about how to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic — a border abolished in the Good Friday Agreement, the reintroduction of which would be inextricably associated with the preceding decades of violence and unrest — remain unresolved, months before Brexit is slated to become official. It's interesting how this has taken hold and is not really questioned. There has in fact never been (apart from a brief period in World War II) a border requiring a passport between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Neither did the Good Friday agreement 'abolish' the customs border in any meaningful way. The Good Friday argument has very little to say on the subject of borders in fact - the customs barriers that there were on the island were in fact abolished in 1993 as part of the common market reforms. Given that all sides have committed not to re-establish a hard border even in the event of a no deal, it's difficult to see how it would threaten the peace process to the extent that is being made out.

switch007 8y ago
> Given that all sides have committed not to re-establish a hard border even in the event of a no deal, it's difficult to see how it would threaten the peace process to the extent that is being made out. I'm rather ignorant of the situation so I ask sincerely: Theresa May might have made a "commitment" and stated that she's "determined" not to see a hard border but how is she going to do it? I'm guessing the EU's & the UK's red lines plus Parliament rejecting her deal are a bit of a spanner in the works? If she doesn't have a credible plan, you'd forgive people for being worried about a hard border, surely?
- kristianc 8y ago
  The EU have committed to Ireland, and the Irish government themselves have committed that there wouldn’t be a hard border. The U.K. government has also committed not to build one. It’s not just the U.K. that has committed not to build one - it’s all parties involved in this that have committed not to build one. In addition, there are other borders between EU and non-EU countries that don’t require immigration controls. It’s hard to see why one is necessary - other than if the EU was deliberately setting out to make leaving look as difficult as possible.

switch007 8y ago

> Given that all sides have committed not to re-establish a hard border even in the event of a no deal, it's difficult to see how it would threaten the peace process to the extent that is being made out. I'm rather ignorant of the situation so I ask sincerely: Theresa May might have made a "commitment" and stated that she's "determined" not to see a hard border but how is she going to do it? I'm guessing the EU's & the UK's red lines plus Parliament rejecting her deal are a bit of a spanner in the works? If she doesn't have a credible plan, you'd forgive people for being worried about a hard border, surely?

kristianc 8y ago
The EU have committed to Ireland, and the Irish government themselves have committed that there wouldn’t be a hard border. The U.K. government has also committed not to build one. It’s not just the U.K. that has committed not to build one - it’s all parties involved in this that have committed not to build one. In addition, there are other borders between EU and non-EU countries that don’t require immigration controls. It’s hard to see why one is necessary - other than if the EU was deliberately setting out to make leaving look as difficult as possible.