evidence: At least 700,000 people born in Northern Ireland now hold an Irish passport. [...] With Brexit approaching on Friday, will people with Irish passports retain more rights than those with British passports living in Northern Ireland? [...] On a visit to Belfast on Monday, the European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said: "Whilst Northern Ireland will no longer be part of the EU, people born and raised here that choose to be Irish citizens will still be EU citizens.