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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do you think giving birth in Belfast will become a thing post Brexit?

431 replies

Lalaloveyou2020 · 19/01/2021 12:01

Since 2005 a person born on the island of Ireland (including NI) to Irish or British parents has a right to apply for Irish citizenship/a passport. I read an article in the FT yesterday discussing the obstacles UK business travellers would face in a post Brexit word, which ended with this:

"There’s one group that will do well out of this: UK-based EU passport holders, who will be able to advertise themselves, both to British employers and to EU service buyers, as being able to travel unhindered around the bloc. Best-placed of all will be Irish passport holders, who can not only travel in the EU, but live and work freely in the UK too. Cecil Rhodes, the British mining magnate and colonialist, once described being English as “the greatest prize in the lottery of life”. Post-Brexit, it’s the Irish who hold the winning ticket."

If you really really wanted your child to have access to the EU in the future, would you be willing to move to Belfast for your birth so that your child could then claim an Irish Passport?

This is meant as a light-hearted discussion more than anything else, though if anyone from NI could chime in on how difficult it would actually be to do, please do so! Reason for going to Northern Ireland over the Republic is the access to the NHS and an automatic right to be both Irish and British at birth.

OP posts:
AliceMcK · 19/01/2021 22:54

I suspect at some point they will tighten the rules to stop it happening.

I do find it interesting how many people are digging around for their Irish ancestry and wanting Irish passports now. I got mine 30 years ago, my siblings always mocked me never interested in their Irish roots. Now they are scrambling to get Irish passports and even my SIL from a very staunch British family who’s parents would try and pick Irish v English arguments with my parents all the time is hoping to get an Irish passport through one of her grandparents who just happened to be born in NI (father a British soldier serving there) but never lived there.

bladdybla · 19/01/2021 22:56

@BadEyeBri It was, it never really hit me how not normal it was until I watched that episode of Derry Girls with the bombing at the end with my Scottish friend & English boyfriend & experienced their reactions.

Anyway, might have gone a bit #triggered there Grin ... so, Grumpy thinks the US might want to adopt us? I hope they don't force their American chocolate on us!

BadEyeBri · 19/01/2021 22:58

I hope they don't force their American chocolate on us!

I will die to defend free state Cadbury's. Be warned Americans, cross me at your peril

Jarline · 19/01/2021 23:02

@ChikiTIKI

I wouldn't want to give birth over there. I've heard it's quite backwards in terms of letting women have their rights in childbirth.
What a shockingly ignorant comment.
gonerogue · 19/01/2021 23:02

@GrumpyHoonMain

I personally wouldn’t travel to Belfast to give birth. Mainly because in the future when things like free entitlement to NHS / government services is being evaluated - I imagine having any Irish place of birth would warrant further checks.

Plus once the political furore calms down and we start getting decent trade deals I imagine British citizens might get better free trade (and movement) deals with high growth countries like the USA / India and SE Asian countries than European countries would as smaller populations tend to get access to special visas that larger populations don’t.

If in the future my son wants an Irish passport he can do it the traditional ways by either moving there or marrying there. I don’t want to hamper his future prospects by deciding for him while things are so uncertain.

I am Irish (ROI) and my husband is English. He doesn't automatically get an Irish passport from marrying me. He doesn't need the 5 years residency but he still needs to apply for citizenship and pay a hefty whack for the privilege.
TheFaithfulBorderBinliner · 19/01/2021 23:05

Bladdybla I'm sorry that those memories are from your lifetime. I'm sad about my grandparents terrifying memories.
I'm angry that I can't say to my children that world is getting better, safer, kinder.
All this stupidity to gain what? I'm so worried about what the future might kick off for all of us. And it is all of us, because the powerful and the bullies have always taken advantage of the normal folk who should just be living the best life they can.

wellthatsunusual · 19/01/2021 23:28

I'm still waiting with bated breath to hear how the poster upthread, who had her trip to Belfast to give birth all planned out, was going to pay to do it privately. Was she building a private maternity hospital as well?

And as for people born in NI being asked for additional paperwork etc compared with other UK citizens...all I can say is that I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Paisley Jnr or the like tries to carry out some financial transaction and gets told he has to jump through hoops that other UK citizens don't have to. Or even better, Lord Maginnis. He's got a bit of a temper...

ReallySpicyCurry · 19/01/2021 23:44

Grin it would almost be worth the sacrifice of the decent chocolate.

Especially if they got Lady Sylvia to come along and rap everyone's knuckles for being Very Naughty Boys.

A girl can dream.

bladdybla · 19/01/2021 23:49

@wellthatsunusual

I'm still waiting with bated breath to hear how the poster upthread, who had her trip to Belfast to give birth all planned out, was going to pay to do it privately. Was she building a private maternity hospital as well?

And as for people born in NI being asked for additional paperwork etc compared with other UK citizens...all I can say is that I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Paisley Jnr or the like tries to carry out some financial transaction and gets told he has to jump through hoops that other UK citizens don't have to. Or even better, Lord Maginnis. He's got a bit of a temper...

I was curious to see their response re:private hospital as well, I found this helpful screenshot from the Kingsbridge website.
Do you think giving birth in Belfast will become a thing post Brexit?
Sinful8 · 19/01/2021 23:49

"There’s one group that will do well out of this: UK-based EU passport holders, who will be able to advertise themselves, both to British employers and to EU service buyers, as being able to travel unhindered around the bloc. Best-placed of all will be Irish passport holders, who can not only travel in the EU, but live and work freely in the UK too. Cecil Rhodes, the British mining magnate and colonialist, once described being English as “the greatest prize in the lottery of life”. Post-Brexit, it’s the Irish who hold the winning ticket."

Meh, i think you're over exaggerating. Most people haven't used thier ability to work in the eu forthe last few decades why would they now?

For anyone important enough you just have to invest about £1.4m in an eu country and you get citizen ship.

Work visas are easy for companies.

I'm just curious who and what you think they'll be doing for it to be a benefit

Dirtymucker · 19/01/2021 23:50

Totally missing the point of this thread. I’m from N.I and I love traybakes and scones! I don’t think I could choose one over the other. Plus I’ve never known anyone to keep their toaster in the cupboard.

Dirtymucker · 19/01/2021 23:54

Omg actually my mum did keep her toaster in the cupboard when I was a kid and now it is out in the open.

wellthatsunusual · 19/01/2021 23:55

I keep my toaster in the cupboard. My mum always did and my sisters do too. After that episode of Derry Girls a huge discussion arose in my office and we discovered that it was true for all of us; in our workplace it was indeed the great Catholic/Protestant divide!

WINKINGatyourage · 19/01/2021 23:58

I’ve always kept my toaster on the counter. For a brief while I was going through a minimalist phase and kept it in the cupboard but it’s now back on the counter- I’ve concluded that Protestants don’t eat as much toast as I do Grin

Dirtymucker · 20/01/2021 00:02

I’ve just text my mum to ask why, she says in case you got mice, they’d try and eat the crumbs from the toaster, but she also made scones... Then again (my grandparents) her dad was a catholic and her mum a Protestant. Maybe that makes a difference, if you are brought up with both backgrounds?

My toaster is on the worktop.

bladdybla · 20/01/2021 00:02

@wellthatsunusual

I keep my toaster in the cupboard. My mum always did and my sisters do too. After that episode of Derry Girls a huge discussion arose in my office and we discovered that it was true for all of us; in our workplace it was indeed the great Catholic/Protestant divide!
Is it true you love accordions? Grin I definitely went to a lot of bingo with my granny and I was raised on ABBA!
Glenorma · 20/01/2021 00:04

I have a special cupboard for my toaster and it stays in there permanently, I just open the door while I’m using it. Do I win a prize?

WINKINGatyourage · 20/01/2021 00:07

@Glenorma

I have a special cupboard for my toaster and it stays in there permanently, I just open the door while I’m using it. Do I win a prize?
I know someone who has their microwave in a cupboard permanently. It’s not even an eye level cupboard, it’s a low level one so you have to crouch down. Blows my mind Grin
Dirtymucker · 20/01/2021 00:07

I will also note I went to a Protestant primary and a Catholic secondary... so I’m not sure I fit into one or the other.

WINKINGatyourage · 20/01/2021 00:09

@Dirtymucker

I will also note I went to a Protestant primary and a Catholic secondary... so I’m not sure I fit into one or the other.
Me too!!
WINKINGatyourage · 20/01/2021 00:09

Maybe you’re my sister? Grin

Dirtymucker · 20/01/2021 00:17

If your male then maybe... But wait no, he went to an integrated grammar.

Glad to know I’m not the only one with an NI identity crisis! Grin

Emeraldshamrock · 20/01/2021 00:20

The toaster divide is hilarious.
Derry girls brought me back to my teens many times it was well written.
The red ticket for photos always caused mayhem and the dead dog who went to my aunts. Grin

WINKINGatyourage · 20/01/2021 00:21

@Dirtymucker

If your male then maybe... But wait no, he went to an integrated grammar.

Glad to know I’m not the only one with an NI identity crisis! Grin

Not male! There must be more of us with experimental parents Grin
Dirtymucker · 20/01/2021 00:24

I wonder if it’s an age thing. I’m a millennial if that makes a difference?