PhotoA vote to leave the bloc would also put Northern Ireland on the external frontier of the European Union. And given the focus placed on curbing migration by pro-Brexit campaigners, it would be logical to recreate immigration controls for people entering Northern Ireland (there are none between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain). In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, it was assumed that both countries would stay in the European Union. In Northern Ireland, which remained part of the United Kingdom after Ireland became independent nearly a century ago, the prospect of pulling out of the European Union has provoked fierce debate. Such outcomes could force voters to re-examine what binds England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Source: New York Times June 17, 2016 07:00 UTC