Citizenship issues need to be addressed - Colr. Durkan

However, Colr. Durkan said that wider issues surrounding citizenship and compliance with the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement still need to be addressed.

“The proposed changes to the Immigration Rules relating to rights retained by EU citizens and family members are most welcome. Indeed, the change will be a huge source of relief for those who may eventually be reunited with families after periods of much stress and uncertainty.

“The Home Office policy of essentially deeming anyone born in NI British, regardless of their asserted Irish citizenship, was creating barriers for married couples and families. Tough decisions with regard to work opportunities and caring responsibilities were becoming increasingly challenging.”

Colr. Durkan added: “The Home Office policy of imposing British citizenship, and requiring those who do identify as British to renounce their British citizenship, also conflicted with fundamental tenet of the Good Friday Agreement, denying the people of the North their explicit right to identify and be accepted as British or Irish or both. The Emma De Souza legal proceedings over the past few years highlighted the major implementation gaps in British law. The out-workings of the recent legislative change mean that people in NI can access the scheme to retain EU rights whether they identify as Irish or British or both. However the relevant scheme is time-limited, and therefore this is a short-term solution.”

Colr. Durkan added that 22 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, “the reality is the British government has failed to give domestic legal effect to the key birthright provisions of that Agreement.”