The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain will remain in place as it is, even if freedom of movement between the EU and UK is ended following Brexit.
The Prime Minister made the statement to the Taoiseach over the phone on Monday when the two leaders discussed the UK’s imminent departure from the EU on October 31st.
The hour-long discussion was reportedly dominated by the issues surrounding the status of the border and backstop clause of the withdrawal agreement.
The seriousness of the talks was emphasised by the attempted bomb attack on PSNI officers in County Fermanagh on Sunday.
Prime Minister Johnson has been resolute in his stance, saying that no matter what the UK will definitely leave the EU by Halloween and will not accept the deal in its current form.
As it stands a no-deal Brexit is the most likely outcome but the Common Travel Area pre-dates both countries’ EU membership.
However, while the UK will not be obliged to enforce a border on the Island of Ireland, the Irish government will be legally obliged under EU law to enforce the bloc’s frontiers.
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