The UK government “doesn’t give a damn” about the “collateral damage” to Ireland caused by a new Brexit arrangement that would require non-Irish EU citizens to apply for clearance to cross the border, Pearse Doherty has said.
Under the Nationality and Borders Bill any non-Irish or non-UK citizens would need to apply for a US-style electronic travel authorisation to enter Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK government’s immigration legislation has cleared the House of Commons and now heads to the House of Lords.
Doherty, the Sinn Fein TD, told the Dail yesterday that it was a “disgrace” as it threatened livelihoods and the tourism sector in the northwest and placed stress on residents.
“It undermines the Good Friday agreement and the common travel area and Ireland once again faces the prospect of the collateral damage of a Tory government in Westminster that doesn’t give a damn about Ireland and it’s so divorced from the reality of life on the border that it could even countenance such a measure like this,” he said.
He pressed Leo Varadkar, the tanaiste, to “make it absolutely clear” to the British government that “this is not on”.
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Varadkar said the government would communicate its concerns and objections to the measure to the UK. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise,” he said.
He added: “If you recall, part of the argument in favour of Brexit was about controlling their borders, and also about reducing and stopping immigration from the European Union, and this is part of the outworking of that.
“It may be the case that some people who voted for Brexit didn’t realise that but it is part of the outworking of Brexit that the United Kingdom is going to harden its borders and is going to reduce immigration, including from the European Union.
“Ending free movement was a big part of the argument that they made. But we will absolutely be making our views known.”
Micheál Martin, the taoiseach, said the scheme, which is due to come into effect in 2025, was concerning as it would halt the seamless movement of people on the island of Ireland.
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Emma de Souza, the citizenship campaigner, tweeted: “This is absolutely wild. Many people cross the border as part of their everyday lives — for work, school, or groceries. The idea that non-Irish & non-British citizens would have to apply for advance travel authorisation is wholly unworkable & represents a hardening of the border.”
The Alliance Party, SDLP, Labour and the Liberal Democrats had tabled an amendment to exempt travel on the island of Ireland from the scheme, but it was not selected for debate before the bill passed.