Derry student lauded for ‘outstanding’ exploration of Common Travel Area

A student from Derry has been commended for her ‘flawless’ examination of the Common Travel Area and how it creates a hard border for certain sections of Irish society.

Aoife Greenberg has just graduated from Leeds University and is currently working as co-ordinator of the North West Migrants Forum’s Summer Club.

She chose the Common Travel Area (CTA) and the restrictions that flow from it for her dissertation.

The Migrants Forum has for several years been highlighting how the CTA excludes those living in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic but who are not citizens in either country. These include people who are married to UK or Irish nationals, those granted refugee status, those seeking asylum, international students and permanent residents from certain countries.

For her dissertation Aoife Greenberg interviewed over a dozen people whose daily lives are impacted by the CTA. What she discovered was individuals who, despite living legally, paying taxes and raising families in Northern Ireland, are being denied the freedoms enjoyed by the vast majority of the Irish population.

Often their sense of missing out is fuelled by simple things like not being able to visit Donegal’s beaches or travel to a concert or football match in Dublin.

“This study is the first to carry out in-depth research of the exclusions of the CTA for non-CTA nationals’ understanding of their belonging in Northern Ireland,” writes the student in her dissertation.

“Hopefully this work can therefore spark increased scholarly and political attention to the situation of exclusionary border practices on the island of Ireland and encourage an active search for solutions to the issues faced by those not privileged within the CTA.”

Aoife’s assessor described the 9,999 word study as “outstanding” and said it broke new ground in terms of highlighting the impact the CTA has on those forced to adhere to its restrictions.

“A complicated history as well as visa regulations are deftly outlined in the introduction to the research then expertly contexualised vis-á-vis scholarship on mobility, belonging and exclusion. Further, the researcher’s positionality and motivation for undertaking the research serves to situate the work as well.”

They go on to say that the analysis “advances significant new insights related to CTA regulations in Northern Ireland”.

“Overall, this dissertation’s original focus, flawless execution and significant new information and insights are outstanding and the writing quality and cohesive presentation indicate that this dissertation is of publishable quality.”

Praising Aoife on tackling such a multi-layered topic, Chief Executive of the North West Migrants Forum, Lilian Seenoi Barr, said the findings will be useful as the charity continues to campaign for legislative change.

“The Common Travel Area dates back over a century and is a complex mixture of legal intricacy, pragmatism and political agreement.

Aoife Greenberg with fellow youth leader Nareyian Kina and some of the young people enjoying this year’s North West Migrants Forum Summer Club.

“It takes courage to try and untangle such an issue and there were surely other less challenging topics Aoife could have pursued. Instead though she chose to explore the Common Travel Area and she did it in the same way we have been encouraging politicians on both sides of the border to do – to look at it through the eyes of those with lived experience.

“Aoife interviewed people from different backgrounds – refugees, those seeking asylum, international students, Irish citizens – and listened to their various stories.

“Those interviews, coupled with an analysis of the history of the CTA and its relevance in 21st century Ireland, add up to a hugely important body of work, one we will certainly draw on as we continue our campaign to have the rights and privileges enjoyed by CTA nationals extended to all legal residents of the Island of Ireland.

“To say that we are impressed by Aoife’s dissertation would be an under-statement and the fact that she references the North West Migrants Forum and our partners in the Committee on the Administration of Justice gives us immense pride,” Mrs Barr added.