ABSTRACT
The land border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, and an ‘Irish Sea border’ between the whole island and Great Britain, are pivotal to Brexit negotiations. A ‘hard’ land border with customs checks would damage the all-island economy and Ireland’s peace settlement and be highly porous. A sea border would be a less damaging and much more efficient option, but the Democratic Unionist Party claims it would undermine Northern Ireland’s constitutional position in the UK. A ‘hard’ border could be prevented and a sea border rendered unnecessary if the whole of the UK stayed in alignment with the EU’s Single Market, but that is unlikely. The threat of a ‘hard’ land border can be simply a bargaining ploy, but some Brexiters who prioritize new trade deals with other countries over maintaining existing trade with the EU press towards leaving the EU without an overall deal. That would push the conflict back to the EU’s so-called Backstop of a special arrangement for Northern Ireland along with the contentious ‘Irish Sea border’ option. This Commentary outlines the background and public discussion around the various alternatives in the Brexit negotiations, as seen from British, Irish and EU perspectives.
