UK and Ireland side deal to Brexit-proof for citizens

Those of us in relocation and global mobility know well that the human brain wants to avoid risk and uncertainty as they create major stress. Each time a little uncertainty is removed, people can relax and turn their focus to something else. So, many travel and mobility programs (and managers) with talent moving back and forth between the UK and Ireland, and that have been stressing about the possible impact of Brexit on those projects, may have just given a collective sigh of relief!

Having worked on this for the last two years, and with a "no deal" still a possibility, Ireland and the UK recently signed a side deal to ensure that their citizens retain special rights for the existing common travel area (CTA) along with the associated bilateral agreements so that people can still move freely between Ireland, the UK, and the islands (the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands).

Cabinet Officer minister, David Lidington states, “You will still be able to work, study, draw your pension and access social security and public services in the UK. Above all, you will be welcome. And we welcome the similar commitment the government of Ireland makes to British citizens in Ireland.”

Apparently, the agreement will benefit an estimated 300,000 Britons living in Ireland and about 350,000 Irish people in the UK.  

Diane Fitz-Gibbon, our senior manager of client services in EMEA, based in London, shared that most people are worn out from all of the Brexit uncertainty and want to move things along. She says, "However I’ve never known the country more divided on a political issue as the Brexiteers and Remainers are so diametrically opposed and everyone has their own view about what leaving should look like."

The article includes an interesting timeline for what's coming related to Brexit.