London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

EU to withdraw staff from Northern Irish ports amid security fears and threats against border workers

EU to withdraw staff from Northern Irish ports amid security fears and threats against border workers

The EU's staff based at ports in Northern Ireland will be temporarily withdrawn due to security concerns for the workers, a spokesperson for the European Commission said on Tuesday.
“We asked them not to attend their duties today, and we will continue to monitor the situation and adapt accordingly,” a Commission spokesperson said, stressing that the safety of EU staff was of primary importance.

The measure comes after Northern Ireland's agriculture ministry on Monday temporarily suspended post-Brexit physical inspections of products of animal origin at the ports of Larne and Belfast, citing safety concerns.

Earlier on Monday, Mid and East Antrim borough council decided to remove 12 of its staff from the port of Larne due to an “upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks.”

Confirming the move, Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said worker “safety remains paramount.”

A number of security incidents have been reported locally in the past fortnight, including graffiti in loyalist areas expressing threats to port officials, with a message daubed on a wall in Larne saying that all border staff were targets.

People have also reportedly been seen taking down the number plate details of port workers.

On Sunday, police opened an investigation into graffiti on an estate in southern Belfast that threatened to lynch the Republic of Ireland's Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Leo Varadkar.

The tension is part of unionist opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, a core element of the UK's post-Brexit trade deal with the EU which allows Northern Ireland to remain in the EU's single market, but which effectively introduces a border in the Irish Sea.

The protocol is designed to guarantee a frictionless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – which is still part of the EU – but means some goods from the UK mainland are subject to sanitary and phytosanitary inspection on arrival at Northern Irish ports.

The extensive checks, on goods such as meat, milk, fish and eggs, have caused numerous problems for suppliers since they came in on January 1, 2021.

Throughout January, disgruntled shoppers in Northern Ireland have voiced their annoyance and concern at bare supermarket shelves as a result of EU goods being delayed due to the extra red tape on imports.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
×