Brexit creates worry for Northern Ireland

World
Europe

Brexit has created huge uncertainty about the future of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The free flow of goods and people between the north and the south, financial subsidies from the European Union… these things are all in question, and the Irish people are worrying.

Ann McCartney is Northern Irish, and her sister lives in the south with her family. In the past 17 years, her sister has traveled to the north twice a week to visit. Based on the principle of European free travel and free trade, the north and the south have been enjoying an essentially open border, but that would be in jeopardy after Brexit.

While citizens fret, businesses are also worrying about their future, as 58 percent of Northern Irish exports go to Europe and 38 percent goes to the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland is heavily reliant on financial subsidies from the European Union, the aid going to economic and social development, education, and peacekeeping. Last year in the UK referendum, the majority of the Northern Irish voted to stay in the bloc because they worry about losing the financial aid, and that will increase the cost of trading and trigger inflation.