Brexit: Why is the Irish border ‘backstop’ such a big deal?
London (CNN)One of the big fears in the Brexit debate is that Britain’s departure from the EU will mean the reintroduction of border posts on the frontier between Northern Ireland, which remains part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member.
Border infrastructure was often targeted by Irish nationalist paramilitaries during the “Troubles” — the 40-year sectarian conflict in which more than 3,500 people died.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal avoids the reintroduction of a so-called “hard” Irish border, because of the built-in transition period that keeps the UK in a customs union with the EU.
Related Posts
About The Author
