This is a statement issued by Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) to coincide with a visit to Brussels on Thursday, 9th March by a delegation from BCAB led by Declan Fearon.
“On Wednesday March 8th, Declan Fearon, Spokesperson for Border Communities Against Brexit will join with eight other Border representatives to bring the case of Border Communities to the European Institutions in Brussels. Martina Anderson MEP has organised this visit and arranged a series of meeting across two days.
Following our successful protests at highlighting the impact of a Hard Border we are determined to let the decision makers in Europe know of our anger and steadfast determination that we will not tolerate a Hard Border on the Island of Ireland. 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.
We are been taken out of the European Union against our will, 56% of the North’s population voted to Remain.
Europe has had a tremendous positive impact on the North’s economy and social cohesion for decades, 60% of our exports are sent to Europe (two thirds of this to the South), while 72% of our imports come from Europe.
North-South trade amounted to more than €6 billion in 2014 and 1.85m cars; 177,000 lorries and 208,000 light vans cross the border each month.
Another huge problem is the massive loss of European farm supports which from 2014 – 2020 is €3.2 billion to farmers and rural communities in the North.
No one believes that the British government will support farmers and rural communities following Brexit. The North’s population is less than 3% of the total UK population.
A Hard Border will divide farms, parishes, villages and neighbours with strong family ties on either side of the Border; it will disrupt every day life whether to go to work or to shop or to engage in sporting fixtures; it will seriously disrupt business, create an economic shock for Ireland and especially the Border Corridor.
Our objective is to inform European decision makers that Ireland cannot be separated by two trading regimes, the imposition of customs checks, immigration control on county boundary’s; all of which will lead to economic devastation resulting in many job losses.
The North of Ireland must be allowed to Remain, to trade freely, to move our goods and services and our people across the islandof Ireland.”
There we go again! “The Island of Ireland..”. What was wrong with “The 32 counties of Ireland”?
why waste all that money on a useless junket to brussels,its the uk that is leaving brussels cant prevent it.would you not be better trying to get the dublin government to leave the eu before the eu breaks up.then the border wont come into it.
“Following our successful protests at highlighting the impact of a Hard Border”
Against what criteria have the protests been assessed as being successful?
“steadfast determination that we will not tolerate a Hard Border on the Island of Ireland.”
What form will this intolerance take?
irish farmers look like to be the biggest losers,yes,the ones in the south,big juicy steaks from south america will be arriving in the uk at half the price of irish beef.t.bones might be a good line in the smuggling department.