The Northern Ireland and Ireland position paper stresses the need to avoid a hard border and insists that there will be no physical infrastructure (ie, customs posts) at the border. Post-Brexit Northern Ireland will become the only part of the UK that shares a land border with an EU-member state.

The government wants to protect the Common Travel Area and the associated rights for both UK and Irish citizens, as well as upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement. The Belfast Agreement is to be written into the Withdrawal agreement to reflect the commitment of the UK government, Irish government and the EU, to the peace process.

The Withdrawal Agreement should also recognise that the people of Northern Ireland will continue to have a right to both Irish and British citizenship. Any people in Northern Ireland who are Irish citizens will continue to benefit from EU citizenship rights.

There will be no passport controls for UK and Irish citizens travelling within the Common Travel Area.

David Davis, secretary of state for exiting the UU, said: ‘The UK and Ireland have been clear all along that we need to prioritise protecting the Belfast Agreement in these negotiations, and ensure the land border is as seamless as possible for people and businesses.

‘The proposals we outline in this paper do exactly that, and we’re looking forward to seeing the EU’s position paper on the Northern Ireland border.

‘In committing to keep the Common Travel Area, which has existed for nearly a century, we’re making sure UK and Irish citizens will continue to be able to travel, live, work and study across both countries.’

Secretary of state for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said: ‘This paper shows the government’s commitment to protecting and advancing the unique interests of Northern Ireland as we leave the EU. We are fully committed to the Belfast Agreement, and the principles, rights and institutions it established.

‘The paper provides flexible and imaginative ideas and demonstrates our desire to find a practical solution that recognises the unique economic, social and cultural context of the land border with Ireland, without creating any new obstacles to trade within the UK. I believe it is possible to find a solution that works for the UK, for Ireland and for the EU - and, specifically, for Northern Ireland - and am determined to work to achieve that.’

The government’s position paper for Northern Ireland and Ireland is available here.