Border Communities Against Brexit, came about because of real concerns that the voices of those of us in the border region are not being listened to when it comes to the implications of Brexit.
We are a broad, cross community and non-party-political group. We invite anyone who shares our concerns to join with us in building an effective campaign.
We have come together to ensure that the North’s democratically expressed wish by 56% of its people is to remain within the EU is respected.
We want to ensure that the views of local communities are heard when big decisions affecting our futures are taken in London, Dublin and Brussels.
The prospect of a new EU frontier, stretching from Dundalk to Derry some 300 miles, is not acceptable to those of us living and working in border areas, North or South.
Our Day of Action in October 2016 was a huge success and gained a huge ground swell of public support with thousands attending our co-ordinated rallies along the border corridors.
It also demonstrated to everyone how unworkable a hard border would be.
We have met the Ministers from Stormont and the Dáil at the North South Ministerial Council and we’ve attended the All Ireland Civil Dialogue in Kilmainham.
We also are soon to meet the Under Secretary of State for the North, Lord Dunlop and we intend to travel to Europe to meet with EU decision makers to make them fully aware of the implications of Brexit for the North, and the Border Communities.
If Brexit proceeds under the current constitutional arrangements, the border dividing Ireland will become an external border of the EU, possibly classified by the EU as a Third Country.
There is no reassurance for us in hearing both the British and Irish Governments state publicly that they do not wish to see the reintroduction of border control’s and customs posts, and the closure of hundreds of Border roads.
This may not be up to them alone to determine.
We remember the time of lengthy delays and traffic backlogs crossing the border.
Every other external border of the EU has physical and economic controls. Why should we believe that the border dividing Ireland would be any different?
The current arrangement for Europe managing its external border on the Eastern part of Europe is the responsibility of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Frontex supports co-ordinates and develops European border management in line with the Treaties including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU as well as other international obligations.
Frontex seeks to ensure the coordination of the actions of the Member States in the implementation of measures, thereby contributing to an efficient, high and uniform level of control on persons and of surveillance of the external borders of the Member States.
Currently on Europe’s eastern border Frontex is responsible for the implementation of the Hard Border that exists there.
All small roads are closed and people are forced through large designated checkpoints.
We have approximately 270 border roads, in the past there was approximately 17 official crossings.
In Slovakia for example there are Three Crossings Ubla, Vysne Nemecke and Zahony, these a large scale crossing with 6 – 8 lanes, where passports, visa’s, the vehicles and their contents are checked.
Currently if you live more than 50 miles from the European Border you must apply a week in advance to gain entry, anyone living within 50 miles can apply for a yearly pass.
Frontex state that the issue of migration is their largest issue, but also is the issue of smuggling of excise goods, stolen vehicles and human trafficking.
Unfortunately we know too well of the damaging effect of smuggling and the rise of criminality in the border area.
Add to that Britain with many different tariffs on excise goods, such as cigarettes and fuel and the forced closure of hundreds of border roads we can therefore see a huge rise in resentment that this new physical border would create.
From the very damaging economic effect on business, the 30,000 workers who cross the border daily, the tens of thousands who visit family and friends, and the tens of thousands who for work or sporting fixtures, or those who choose to holiday and travel North and South on a regular basis, a Hard Border would be a disaster.
But on a broader political issue a Hard Border is much, much more potentially disastrous.
Northern Nationalism has embraced the Peace Process which has had massive European support.
The financial assistance to thousands of community groups in Peace building, the fantastic support in developing the Economy such as Motor Ways, Train links, and Telecommunications and supporting business to set up and create jobs, has utterly transformed the North of this Island in the past 25 years.
No one has been left out or excluded.
The total financial assistance from the EU Co Funded Programmes to the North from 2014 – 2020 is €3.5 billion, while the period from 2007 – 2013 was €3.4 billion.
£2.3 billion pounds of EU financial support to the rural community and farmers in the North of Ireland (from 2014 – 2020) is another example of how enormous the EU assistance to the North is.
The UK is Ireland’s largest trading partner, with more than €1.2 billion of goods and services traded between us every week, directly supporting 400,000 jobs on both islands and even more among suppliers and surrounding communities.
Irish Nationalism has been very confident in its Irishness and has not felt excluded or undermined.
The Good Friday Agreement has given all an equal identity whether or not you wish to belong to the Unionist Tradition or the Irish one, and sets out very clearly the safe guards in the EU Charter of Human Rights which is enshrined in the GFA.
What concerns me greatly is the effect of a hard border on the impression of Irish identity in the North and particularly the Border areas.
Currently it is very difficult to find the actual border, with free travel, free movement of goods and services, and to just freely go where you want whenever you want, that could be taken away.
It is also very important that no border exists to those who see themselves living in Ireland.
Add to that the fact that 56% of the North voted to Remain in the EU, the North’s population is being dragged out against our will. 441,000 voted to remain.
Their opinion is not being respected.
They are being totally disenfranchised.
It could be argued that many will see this as a Re - Partition of Ireland, with hard physical infrastructure.
There is at least a generation who do not remember the troubles, and at least two generations who do not remember any physical border.
Therefore the potential exists for creating a divided Ireland, giving way to alienation of border communities, the growth of resentment and frustration as they will perceive that their Irishness has been greatly diminished or taken away.
The committee will no doubt need to examine the effects as we have outlined, as well as the many EU safeguards built into legalisation and the removal of safeguards enshrined within the EU charter of Human Rights within the GFA.
Can we ask that the committee to take a detailed look at the framework with which Frontex operates, and look in detail at the current arrangement on Europe’s Eastern Border?
Would the committee undertake to see how the Irish and British Government will get involved in the Brexit negotiations to ensure that Ireland is allowed to trade and operate as it does currently?
Does the committee believe that the Irish Government has the sufficient resources and infrastructure in Europe to deal with Brexit?
Does the committee know if the Irish Government has already talked to its European colleagues to inform them of our unique situation and to gain support?
We need European Prime ministers, Governments and Commissioners to hear a very clear and strong message of the necessity for the North to stay within the European Union. The Irish and British Governments are pivotal in articulating the rights and the needs of Border Communities and the North’s population.
What effect does restricting people’s movement, damaging an entire community economically, disenfranchising an entire community politically, cause people to feel resentment and alienation, to strip away people hard won rights and safeguards, to put in place an incentive to smuggle and enter criminality?
While on the fringes we have groups who are ready and willing to use people’s emotions and difficult economic conditions to create division seek a return to our past?
20 January 2017