The Border People website is a resource provided by The Center For Cross Border Studies (registered charity No 102197) to help people who cross the border to live, work, study and retire.

In 2001 the North South Ministerial Council published a Study of Obstacles to Mobility, which explored the wide range of obstacles which hindered people moving across the Irish border to live and work. The report presented 50 recommendations / solutions and of relevance is the second recommendation which was:

A one-stop cross-border mobility information website should be established which would provide comprehensive and easily accessible information on key aspects of jobs, learning opportunities and living conditions on both sides of the border.

This would be linked with European Commission proposals for development of such a site on a pan-European basis. This site should also provide linkages to websites for government departments as well as representative agencies and voluntary groups.’

In response to this recommendation the NSMC Joint Secretariat, on behalf of the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), awarded a contract, to the Centre for Cross-Border Studies (CCBS)to develop a Cross-border Mobility website (www.borderpeople.info) as a central access point for all cross-border mobility information on the island of Ireland. The project was initially funded in 2007 by the EU PEACE Programme and then developed with EU INTERREG funding.  It is currently part-funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Reconciliation Fund.

The Border People website is recognised as an important source of cross-border citizens’ information and advice on the island of Ireland.  It provides practical information for people crossing the border to live, work, study or retire. It provides a signposting service to a wide range of (single jurisdiction) information sources, the most popular of which are in the areas of social security, taxation, welfare benefits, healthcare, pensions, and motoring.

There has always been a ‘knowledge gap’ between the two citizens information systems on the island of Ireland, with information providers in each jurisdiction having a very limited knowledge of the system on the other side of the border.  Furthermore there is currently no formal training for information providers in any area of cross-border mobility information by any of the agencies involved.   As a result the Border People project aims to embed, through training and support, the provision of cross-border information into the practices of mainstream information providers on both sides of the border.

As well as providing information to citizens and supporting the advice sectors in both jurisdictions the Border People project actively engages with policy and decision makers in Ireland and NI.

Behind the scenes the Centre for Cross Border Studies is advised and guided by members of the cross-border Advisory Group

1. Centre for Cross-Border Studies
2. North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat
3. Citizens Information Board (Ireland)
4. Department of Social Protection
5. Department for Communities
6. Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services
7. Law Centre NI

The Border People project is a clear example of cross-border cooperation at its most pragmatic and sensible: a means of making government departments, information and advice providers and the general public in both Irish jurisdictions more knowledgeable and thus more effective in dealing with practical obstacles to cross-border mobility.

For further information please contact Annmarie O’Kane, Border People Manager, borderpeople@qub.ac.uk

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