Irish hard border will not return, UK Brexit paper says

A UK government positioning paper has said that ensuring there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be a top priority as Brexit negotiations continue.

The issue of the border between the north and southern parts of the island has become one of the main factors to be thrashed out by David Davis’ Brexit team and their EU counterparts, with some fearing border posts could return along with a restriction in the movement of goods and people.

Davis’ department released its latest positioning paper on Tuesday in which it outlined two alternatives to the Irish border question.

It suggests either a ‘streamlined’ border operated by the UK or a customs partnership between the two states which allows trade and movement to continue freely as it currently does.

A government source told The Guardian that it was Davis and his team’s priority to ensure there would be no 'physical infrastructure' on the border.

"Top of our list is to agree upfront no physical border infrastructure – that would mean a return to the border posts of the past and is completely unacceptable to the UK," the source said.

Irish officials have been vehemently opposed to any reinstating of the hard border, and said in response to the position paper that it was a 'subtle repositioning' of the UK’s stance.

"This essentially means extending the customs union to incorporate the UK while it is outside of the European Union. That is effectively what the Government has been suggesting is needed for Northern Ireland for some time," a spokesperson said.