Brexit, the agreement with the EU falls on Northern Ireland: Boris Johnson presents a new law

from our correspondent
LONDON – If the Northern Ireland deal is now scrap paper, what awaits European citizens in Britain? Despite the guarantees of the last two days, Boris Johnson’s government went ahead: And today it presents in Parliament the law that contradicts the Brexit Agreement reached last year with Europe and that has the value of an international treaty. Practically, it was agreed that the province of Northern Ireland would remain in the single market, to avoid a return to a physical border with the Republic of Dublin to the south: but this meant the introduction of customs controls, hence of a border, between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For London this result was finally unacceptable, because it broke the unity of the country, and that is why today comes the law that invalidates the agreements with Brussels. A traumatic decision: the minister of Northern Ireland himself frankly admitted yesterday in Parliament that it is a violation of international law: So much so that the highest attorney for the State preferred to resign in protest.

The problem now is that the other pillar of the Brexit Agreement refers to the rights of Europeans residing in Great Britain: the Treaty concluded with Brussels guarantees full compliance, but coincidentally the London government, despite requests from EU citizens’ associations, has been careful not to translate these guarantees into a text of law. In addition, those who have obtained permanent residence do not have any physical document that proves it: they must have a random digital database. If the precedent for Northern Ireland teaches anything, that Johnson’s government willing to renege on its commitments, even at the cost of violating an international treaty: and, therefore, the fate of 3.5 million Europeans who hang on the political whim of the Downing Street tenant. It is not necessary to sleep soundly.