On June 23, much of the world waited with bated breath to see the outcome of the British national vote known as Brexit (for British exit from the European Union). The result of the vote was wholly unexpected and sent both global citizens and markets into a whirlwind of speculation. In a largely unprecedented move, a very small majority of Britons voted to leave the European Union (EU) and disentangle the United Kingdom (UK) from a complex web of regulations, trade arrangements, and immigration agreements.
The fallout from the shocking decision will be felt for some time as global financial markets try to deal with the uncertainty. The actual separation won’t occur for at least two years, as the UK first needs to elect a new Prime Minister who will invoke the United Nations Article 50 to initiate the secession. Also, the UK has a two-year window to renegotiate roughly 80,000 pages worth of international agreements. But one of the most interesting questions posed by the eventual separation of the UK from the EU is: What will the UK’s future borders look like, and how will they be controlled?
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Sylvia Longmire is also a Senior Contributing Editor for Homeland Security Today.