Barnier visit: EU chiefs need to be shown that there is already a hard border at the Irish Sea

Well, for example, Sinn Féin’s Elisha McCallion reportedly invited Michel Barnier to visit Derry on the visit that has just happened, and he got star treatment to effortlessly flit in and out for a photo opportunity.

But, if it were me, I’d let him flit in as he pleases, but I’d book him an economy seat out on a flight from either Belfast International or Belfast City airport to London Heathrow.

In fact, I’d also invite Antonio Tajani (president of the European Parliament), Mairead McGuinness (first vice-president of the European Parliament), and Guy Verhofstadt over as well and book them economy seats from these airports as well. Why?

Well, having already established for themselves that there is no tangible border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland these folk would quickly discover for themselves that there already exists a hard border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

I wonder what the media would make of Michel Barnier traipsing up to the security queue at Belfast International along with his buddies in tow, and their passports demanded to travel from Belfast to London?

Can you imagine Michel Barnier lining up to kick off his shoes as he approaches the security barrier, Antonio Tajani pulling off his belt to put it in the security tray, Mairead McGuinness ripping off her jewellery and other valuables to set them in her security tray, and then Guy Verhofstadt getting the full body search when he refuses to do any of these things?

The London media get exercised when coloured or black youths are randomly stopped and searched as they go around London, but everyone, including the PUL community, get stopped and searched every time they travel to London.

The much-lauded Common Travel Area is a fallacy as those travelling to and from Northern Ireland from Great Britain by air and sea have always been stopped and searched for the last fifty years.

In fact, until recently, those flying out of Heathrow have had to go through a double security cordon, first through the British cordon, and then through a second cordon to reach the gate for Northern Ireland flights.

And this hard border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain has the full acquiescence of the DUP, and they’ve never questioned it even though the paramilitary ceasefires and Good Friday or Belfast Agreement took place over twenty years ago.

If the same stop and search facilities were put in place between Northern Ireland and the Republic, Sinn Féin and the SDLP would demand the removal of this hard border, but the DUP appear happy to have a hard border between NI and Great Britain.

This is why the backstop option of the Brexit Withdrawal bill will probably be implemented — it already exists!

Bernard J. Mulholland, Malone Road, Belfast BT9