Brexit `Fear' Drives British Demand for Irish Passports

(Bloomberg) -- Brits are increasing looking to their Irish roots as they seek to keep a foot in the European Union.

For the first time, the number of Irish passport applications received from England, Scotland and Wales, 81,287, beat the number from Northern Ireland, 80,964, according to Darragh O’Brien, foreign affairs spokesman for Fianna Fail, the biggest opposition party, citing a response to a parliamentary question.

The U.K.’s vote to leave the EU has raised concerns that its citizens could lose the right to live and work in Europe without restrictions, and an Irish passport is seen as a method to retain access to those rights.

“The number of those applying for an Irish passport has certainly risen on foot of the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union,” said O’Brien. “Many are now applying for a passport out of fear as opposed to requirement or necessity,.’

To contact the reporter on this story: Dara Doyle in Dublin at ddoyle1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Vidya Root at vroot@bloomberg.net.

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