Young people warn on consequences of Brexit

A GENERATION of young people from across the island of Ireland is warning that it will have to live with the full impact of Brexit, having never voted on its outcome.

A report on the views, hopes and fears of young people in the North and the Republic will be handed to members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly at its next meeting, which will take place in Sligo.

The report, ‘It’s Our Brexit Too: Children’s Rights, Children’s Voices’, is the outcome of a cross-border conference hosted by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People.

The report represents the views of 120 young people from both parts of the island.

It outlines considerations and protections that should feed into decisions on areas such as education, child protection, freedom of movement, family life and health.

Alex, a Brexit Youth Steering Group member, said: “We will be the first generation to live with the full impact of the Brexit decision, yet we did not get the opportunity to vote.

“It was clear at the event that young people felt there had not been enough consideration about the realities of our lives and how decisions about the Common Travel Area, the Border, or the loss of EU funding programmes could have an impact on our lives now and into the future.”

Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children in Ireland, said: “The young people have a keen awareness of the issues that could impact on their lives, from ensuring that ambulances are not delayed when needing to cross the Border, to the disruption to family life where separated parents are living either side of the Border.”