BUSINESS leaders have said they "urgently" need to know what will happen after freedom of movement between the EU and UK ends in March 2019.
The date for the momentous change was confirmed by the British government yesterday.
The Irish border has yet to be discussed at Brexit talks, despite fears that the UK's decision to leave Europe will mean the return of customs posts.
Immigration minister Brandon Lewis said yesterday that a new system would be put in place, with EU nationals expected to have to register to work.
However, nationalist politicians branded the government's Brexit process a "shambles".
Angela McGowan, director of the CBI Northern Ireland, said last night that EU workers strengthen local businesses, particularly in the agri-food and engineering sectors.
"Any new migration system should protect these benefits while restoring public confidence."
She added that an assessment of EU migration commissioned by the British government should include the views of firms in the north.
"Businesses urgently need to know what a new system will look like – during transition and afterwards," she said.
Declan Fearon of Border Communities Against Brexit said there are growing concerns that the British government's approach will lead to a hard border.
"There could be the closure of border roads - that's something that could happen because of the British government's decision on free movement of people," he said.
"The EU are adamant they cannot allow these genetically-modified foods and chlorinated chicken from the US into the 27 (EU states). How can this be done without border controls?
"This would cause huge, huge difficulties. There are people who, during their ordinary working life, cross the border 10 times a day."
Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson said the Conservative government had provided "no detail about how they propose to tackle the disastrous impact of Brexit on our economy, on agriculture, on human rights, on the issue of the border, on the Good Friday Agreement or on the future of EU citizens who have made Ireland their home".
SDLP assembly member Claire Hanna claimed that the "chaos and incompetence at the heart of the British government has been laid bare in the opening Brexit negotiations".
"They claim to be opposed to the borders of the past but haven't given any sense of what their vision for the borders of the future look like."
Alliance MLA Stephen Farry also described the free movement announcement as "another step in causing enormous damage to the UK economy and society".
