The Republic of Ireland has dismissed the plans proposed by the United Kingdom government over the issue of a ‘backstop’. The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union and the only country to share its border with the UK.
United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had been asked by the European Union to submit his plans regarding Brexit and the issue of Ireland. The government of the United Kingdom had presented ‘non-paper’ documents to the European Union which got leaked to the media.
According to a report in Reuters, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has said in a tweet, “Non-Paper = Non-Starter. Time the EU had a serious proposal from the UK Govt if a Brexit deal is to be achievable in October. NI and IRE deserves better!”
It is a tricky situation for the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland which is a part of the UK shares a direct border with the Republic of Ireland, any hard border installations near the border would upset the peace of the region. The island has been a witness of violence throughout the 20th century. It was only after the Good Friday Accords that peace was restored in the island.
According to the British proposals, clearance centres would be made in place of the proposed Backstop. The United Kingdom and the European Union have been involved in tough negotiations with each other. Under the Premiership of Thresa May, the EU did manage to negotiate a deal which later got rejected thrice in the parliament.
Reuters further in its reports says that the plan for the Clearance Centres or any infrastructure near the border to maintain control over its borders would again spark a debate regarding the political status of Northern Ireland.
With the Brexit deadline approaching at the end of this month, the European Union has asked the government to submit its proposals with regards to the plan regarding the substitution of the Backstop.
(Inputs from agencies)