Away from the high politics of Brexit occurring in Brussels this week, the UK gov have today opened applications for the Frontier Worker Permit. 1/7 http://crossborder.ie/brexit-border-the-frontier-worker-permit/

After the transition period ends EU26/EEA citizens who live outside the UK but are employed in the UK are required to register in order to continue to have the freedom to work (but not live) in the UK. 2/7

This draws attention back to the Irish land border as EU26/EEA workers who live in the Republic of Ireland and work in Northern Ireland will be required to register for the permit in order to continue travelling from the south to the north for work. 3/7

Once the transition period ends, new EU26 frontier workers will be required to satisfy the new points-based system. This will likely limit the number of EU26 frontier workers as the majority of EU26 nationals working in Northern Ireland (55%) are employed in “unskilled” work. 4/7

Despite the impact this will have on frontier workers and border communities, the UK government have not consulted on the Frontier Worker permit or its legislation or implementation, nor have they yet initiated a public awareness campaign to prepare those affected. 5/7

UK gov are going to be reliant on border businesses and communities to implement and encourage compliance with the Frontier Worker Permit and so it is essential that the UK gov engages with these groups and initiates a public awareness campaign regarding these changes. 6/7

The success of any such public awareness initiative will also require the UK government to coordinate with both the Irish government and the EU as any disruption will not only be felt in the UK but have direct implications for EU26/EEA citizens living across Ireland. 7/7

Finally, thank you to @CCBSCrossBorder and @a_okane for inviting me to contribute on such an important topic and special thanks to @hayward_katy for her constructive feedback and guidance in framing this argument.