The Irish border and bordering practices before and after Brexit

Since the recording of this podcast, the election returned a majority Conservative government in Westminster which has since passed the Withdrawal Agreement for leaving the EU. A transition period, lasting at least until the end of 2020, should mean British citizens in EU countries will retain their current rights until at least that period. If you are worried about your situation, you can get advice from independent organisations such as the Immigrant Council of Ireland (https://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/contact).

We’re back to Ireland in today’s episode. Joined by Luke Butterly, a journalist who has focussed on bordering between the UK and Ireland, Michaela explores two prominent dimensions of the Brexit at their intersections: the border and migration. As they discuss, the prevailing imaginings of a frictionless border hide from view the racialised politics of the border made visible in who is questioned for their right to cross this border freely. Repositioning questions of Brexit and the border within this politics shifts focus from the history of the British-Irish relationship to how it is caught up in bordering regimes in both countries. They also highlight how  falling back on the Common Travel Area overlooks the rights of UK citizens living in Ireland that rest on EU directives about Freedom of Movement, with the consequence that these have not been addressed. 

Find out more about Luke and his work on this contently site https://lukejbutterly.contently.com.