AIBU to ask if the Irish have to apply to stay in the UK post Brexit?

[Weetabixelly]

My in laws say that they have received a card through the post stating that the Irish have to apply to remain in the UK post Brexit. They are a bit vague on exactly who has sent this card.

They came from Southern Ireland to live in the UK in the early 1960s and have lived here ever since.

Looking online, it looks like the Irish don't have to apply for settled status?

Ironically, the In Laws were originally from Cork, so maybe Southern Ireland was correct after all!
They were from a county in southern Ireland, like I'm from a county in the east of Ireland as a country it is the Republic of Ireland or NI depending on which end you're talking about.

The south not southern. 🤣🤐

@EmeraldShamrock

I have an Irish friend that does, to differentiate it from Northern Ireland, when she is introduces herself. Is she incorrect, rude and ignorant? All 3 I'd say.

I'll be sure to let her know that she is being rude about her own country.. although I'm pretty sure I'll get told exactly where to go... 😂

saying "Southern Ireland" is simply incorrect, rude and ignorant.

But is also a widely used phrase not intended to cause hurt just to identify a nation on the island or Ireland that is not NI.

We often talk about South and North Korea, hardly anyone says
the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" and the "Republic of Korea"

We also used to talk about East and West Germany even though the part of the 'east' was further east than 'East Germany' and Berlin was well and truly in the east geographically and in the west politically.

Russia was often used as shorthand for the USSR.

Then we have Cyprus...

It was clear what the OP meant. If you found it rude then you could have easily asked the OP to refer to it differently without being a knob.

@sashh

saying "Southern Ireland" is simply incorrect, rude and ignorant.

But is also a widely used phrase not intended to cause hurt just to identify a nation on the island or Ireland that is not NI.

We often talk about South and North Korea, hardly anyone says
the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" and the "Republic of Korea"

We also used to talk about East and West Germany even though the part of the 'east' was further east than 'East Germany' and Berlin was well and truly in the east geographically and in the west politically.

Russia was often used as shorthand for the USSR.

Then we have Cyprus...

It was clear what the OP meant. If you found it rude then you could have easily asked the OP to refer to it differently without being a knob.

That was actually in response to another poster, not the OP. And no, it is certainly not a widely used phrase. And it was not clear what the OP meant. Seriously if someone says Southern Ireland you think they mean Cork, Kerry etc. Using it to refer to the 'bit that is not NI' is at best ignorant and otherwise offensive. Southern Ireland was the official name used for several years when it was still a part of the UK, and has often been used to annoy and irritate. It's not only that it's a geographically inaccurate term (as per your examples) but it's an insulting political one in this case.

And please explain how exactly I was a "knob".

When used, you are implying that the Republic is still a part of the UK.

I’m from Northern Ireland and had a row with my workplace about this after I received an automated email before the end of the transition period asking me to apply for settled status (presumably because system assumed I was from Ireland as I hold an Irish passport and have put my nationality as Irish in the HR system). If I wasn’t applying for settled status I was basically asked to update my nationality in the system. So politically sensitive and stupid of them to have sent this out without checking it was going to the right people. I was really annoyed.

The system clearly just grouped all EU countries together and included Ireland as an EU member state, even though Irish people’s right to live and work in the U.K. is governed by completely different laws (ie not EU law).

Can copy/paste the email I sent to HR (quoting the relevant law and regulation) and PM it to you if it helps OP.

I'm Irish and if someone asks are you from Southern Ireland I would say "no", because I'm not, I'm from Dublin. I wouldn't assume they were misnaming my country or being ignorant, because that would be rude of ME. I'd assume they were asking what region I'm from.

If they were being ignorant or deliberately rude, it's up to them to seek clarification. I'm not going to help them along by pretending it's okay for them to infer that the Republic of Ireland is region of the UK, not a country.

@Weetabixelly

My in laws say that they have received a card through the post stating that the Irish have to apply to remain in the UK post Brexit. They are a bit vague on exactly who has sent this card.

They came from Southern Ireland to live in the UK in the early 1960s and have lived here ever since.

Looking online, it looks like the Irish don't have to apply for settled status?

That's awful and very unsettling that they've received this - who would KNOW they were Irish? A "friend" trolling them? An organisation that has their data where they might have identified themselves as White Irish?

I would honestly press them further on this, and find out who is misusing their data to harass them, as given their likely age, it's really cruel to upset people like this. I'm 40 and I've had to double check this a couple of times lately, even though I KNOW I have the right to live here!

We DON'T have to apply for settled status. Our permission to live here, and for British people to live in the Republic of Ireland is under a completely different agreement, unrelated to the EU called the Common Travel Area.

It is worth pointing out though, that some legal bods believe that the Settled Status thing is actually more iron-clad in law than the CTA, but I think the British would have a lot of trouble trying to shift nearly half a million of us out of the country if they reneged on the CTA!

You can send them to this page on the Irish Embassy website which is really clear about it: www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/great-britain/news-and-events/latest-news/the-uks-decision-to-leave-the-eu.html

Also from the Department of Foreign Affairs website:

"Residency and the Common Travel Area

What is the position now for Irish citizens in the UK and of British citizens in Ireland?

The Common Travel Area allows Irish and British citizens to move freely and reside in either jurisdiction. They also enjoy associated rights and entitlements. The Government of Ireland and the UK Government have committed to maintaining the Common Travel Area in all circumstances.

What is the size of the Irish community in Britain?

There are 430,000 Irish-born people resident in Britain. 407,000 of these live in England and Wales and 23,000 live in Scotland. Estimates vary on how many second and later generation Irish people live in Britain."

www.dfa.ie/irelanduk-citizenshipandpassports/

Buttercup2926

"The Constitution of Ireland sets out that there are two official names for the country, Ireland and Éire. Éire should only be used when speaking in the Irish language.

Republic of Ireland is a description as opposed to a name.

The term 'Southern Ireland' is very offensive and should not be used ever. It has strong historical connotations and was used by the English government as a way to avoid recognising the independence of Ireland.

I understand that people genuinely do not know this and don't always mean to be offensive" however once you know, and do use it again, or argue that you are correct, it IS offensive.

No, they don't, the RoI is exempt from restrictions.

MN proving that, once again, people will argue over anything.

irishempire.org/news/news-politics/what-is-the-correct-name-for-ireland/8

@MolyHolyGuacamole ?

There is lots of scams coming up with deadline looming. And hella lot of shitstirring with incorrect info.

Did the card mention service with non rwfundable fee? I wouldn't be surprised

@Thunderface

Maybe not helpful but true nonetheless.

Strictly there is Northern Ireland, the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (RoI) or the Irish Republic

It's always amazing on MN that someone will come on and decide that all Irish people think the same way and have the same opinions on everything.

Funnily enough, like British people, or any other nationality, they all have their own views. Fancy that.

To go back to the point of the thread, this sounds like a scam.

[quote 5566rfghh]irishempire.org/news/news-politics/what-is-the-correct-name-for-ireland/8[/quote]
'The British despise it'

I don't know ANYONE that despises the use of 'Ireland'. What a ridiculous and overdramatic comment right at the start, which is a shame given the rest of it is interesting.

@SticksAndStoned
I linked it as most of it is accurate and could perhaps educate anyone who is interested. That statement is ridiculous :), yes years ago, but not now.

And by that I mean around 50+ years ago, not 100s.

Strictly there is Northern Ireland, the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (RoI) or the Irish Republic.

No, as has already been said upthread, the name of the country is Ireland. So the island of Ireland contains Ireland (the country) and Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is often used instead of Ireland as the name of the country, but officially it's the description of the state, not its name.
Lots of Irish people absolutely hate the term Southern Ireland - for historical reasons and mainly because it's incorrect. We know that mostly people just don't realise this though.

@astoundedgoat
Thank you for your post. Really not sure who sent the card. In laws think it is likely the council who sent it. They live in Birmingham. DH has rung them to say they don't need to apply for settled status so they feel much happier now.
In answer to PP who asked if a fee was mentioned on the card, I don't think so from what ILs said.

Any country with disputed territory is bound to have naming issues.

It'll all be resolved once we reunify.

@Somatronic

Any country with disputed territory is bound to have naming issues.

It'll all be resolved once we reunify.

Yes indeed. I would say that reunification is pretty likely eventually (post Brexit) .