As part of the 1998 Good Friday Awards, Ireland and the United Kingdom decided to open the border and end all border controls. It was an important part of the peace agreement that ended The troublesA bloody battle between the Catholic paramilitary organization IRA and the British government.

Brexit threatened to disrupt the entire peace process with the withdrawal of a strict border. For a long time, the biggest obstacle was the border negotiations. Last year, Brussels and London reached an agreement after tough discussions. Northern Ireland will be given separate status within the United Kingdom and will continue to partially comply with EU trade regulations. The border thus migrates between Northern Ireland and Great Britain to the Irish Sea.

But even though the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland remains open, McLaughlin is under no illusion. “It is still a tough Brexit. Northern Ireland is somewhat protected, but make no mistake. There is no such thing as a good Brexit. We are only trying to prevent the worst damage in this new trade relationship.” “

The MP is particularly concerned about the economy. “Trade with the Republic of Ireland will remain virtually frictionless. But Northern Irish companies that do business with England, for example, will face obstacles in the form of controls and additional paperwork. We are suffering economic pains anyway.”

In Derry, there is more than worry about economic damage. This is the city of bloody Sunday, On Sunday in 1972, on which British soldiers shot down 26 unarmed civilians. Fourteen people died. After Bloody Sunday, the Northern Ireland conflict erupted, which would kill thousands. In Bogside, during The troubles IRA was a stronghold, large murals still remind us of that bloody battle.