NI organisations express concern about UK permit scheme for frontier workers
October 27, 2020CAJ joins with other NI organisations to express serious concern about the UK government’s permit scheme for frontier workers.
Following the publication of the Citizens’ Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, a diverse grouping of organisations based in Northern Ireland have written to the Secretary of State and Ministers of State to highlight shortcomings in the development and implementation of the permit scheme, and to draw attention to the failure by the UK government to engage with the significant impacts of this scheme in NI.
The signatories of this letter are all organisations working on the front line of advice, advocacy, and support for cross border workers, their families, and those who employ them.
It is estimated that between 23,000 and 30,000 people in Northern Ireland and Ireland are cross-border workers, and that thousands of people cross the land border every day for work. Due to the land border, the number of frontier workers in Northern Ireland is thought to be significantly higher than in any other part of the UK, and many industries heavily rely on these workers. The loss of EU protections for frontier workers will therefore have a unique and significant impact in Northern Ireland, which is yet to be adequately addressed by the UK government.
You can read the letter in full here.
Signatories to the letter are as follows:
Committee on the Administration of Justice
UNISON
Border People
Centre for Cross Border Studies
Migrant Centre NI
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
Stronger Together
South Tyrone Empowerment Project
Inter Ethnic Forum
Chinese Welfare Association
Omagh Ethnic Community Support Group
Belfast Metropolitan College, College of Sanctuary
North West Migrant Forum
Advice NI
Granite Legal Services NI
Please direct media enquiries to Robyn Scott, Communications & Equality Coalition Coordinator, on robyn@caj.org.uk or 075 1994 1203.