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Pensioners raise concerns about impact of Brexit

A customs post outside Newry, Co Down, on the main Dublin to Belfast Road in 1981. Picture from Pacemaker
A customs post outside Newry, Co Down, on the main Dublin to Belfast Road in 1981. Picture from Pacemaker A customs post outside Newry, Co Down, on the main Dublin to Belfast Road in 1981. Picture from Pacemaker

PENSIONERS fearful of the impact of Brexit have warned against a return to historic border controls.

In a report launched by the Northern Ireland Pensioners' Parliament today, three-quarters of older people expressed concerns about the impact of the UK's departure from the European Union in March 2019.

Around 70 per cent of respondents also raised concerns about freedom of movement across the border after Brexit.

Ivan Baxter from Age Sector Platform, which organised the parliament, said pensioners did not want a return to border customs checks.

"The older generation in Northern Ireland have lived long enough to remember custom checks on the border and it's not a situation to which we would like to return," he said.

"Regardless of how older people voted in the referendum, it is clear from our research that maintaining a soft border and protecting cross border free travel for over 65s is very important to the vast majority of older people here."

He said the report also suggested two-thirds of older people in the north voted remain in the EU referendum - a higher proportion than the population as a whole.

"Despite the accepted belief that older people are responsible for the Brexit vote, our findings suggest that in Northern Ireland the majority of older people voted remain," he said.