A mountain to climb: the looming problem of the Northern Irish border

For all practical purposes, writes Filippo Biondi, the border between Eire and Northern Ireland has disappeared. Thirty thousand people cross the 500km line each day just in order to go to work. So what will happen when it becomes the land border between the EU and the UK? He analyses the Democratic Unionist Party’s priorities and looks at possible solutions to the problem of customs checks.

• Primary Source

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Background information: Election 2017: DUP agrees 'confidence' deal with Tories / Theresa May under pressure as DUP says: ‘Show some respect' http://www.europeansources.info/record/election-2017-dup-agrees-confidence-deal-with-tories-theresa-may-under-pressure-as-dup-says-show-some-respect-conservative-and-dup-agreement-and-uk-government-financial-suppo/

ESO: Background information: The Brexit negotiations: Issues for the first phase http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-brexit-negotiations-issues-for-the-first-phase/

ESO: Background information: Hard Borders of the Mind: Brexit, Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement http://www.europeansources.info/record/hard-borders-of-the-mind-brexit-northern-ireland-and-the-good-friday-agreement/

The Guardian, 21.06.17: How does the Irish border affect the Brexit talks? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/21/how-does-the-irish-border-affect-the-brexit-talks

BBC News 24.06.17: Brexit: Solution needed for Irish border 'now' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40387660

Belfast Telegraph, 24.06.17: Agreement must be reached on Irish border Brexit issues, warns business chief http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/agreement-must-be-reached-on-irish-border-brexit-issues-warns-business-chief-35861601.html

Blog: LSE Brexit, 10.07.17: A hard Irish border is quite possible, a frictionless one is an oxymoron http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2017/07/10/a-hard-irish-border-is-possible-a-frictionless-one-is-an-oxymoron/

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