British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on his citizens to seize the opportunity of the United Kingdom's independence from the European Union and preserve the country's unity, after the entry into force of new laws included in the British-European agreement, Britain's exit from the European market and the customs union.

For her part, the Prime Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said that her country will return to the European Union, at a time when British trucks began to cross the border with France, after exempting exporters from taxes and tariffs in light of the recent trade agreement.

Britain has turned the page of nearly half a century of European integration, and today, Friday, with the advent of 2021, it entered a new phase after achieving its complete exit from the European Union, without immediately showing obstacles, but with many unknown factors.

The famous "Big Bean" watch in London shows the moment of Brexit last night (Anatolia)

After 4 and a half years after the 2016 referendum, Brexit is final at 23:00 local time and GMT Thursday, with the country stopping applying European Union rules as it withdraws from the European single market and the customs union.

After 47 years of turbulent European integration, and after 4 and a half years of fluctuations that followed the 2016 referendum, Brexit was finally completed, after it became official on January 31, but its effects were postponed through a transitional period aimed at absorbing the shock.

'The year of change and hope'

In an editorial published in The Daily Telegraph, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson - the most prominent architect of Brexit - affirmed that 2021 will be "a year of change and hope", praising the free exchange agreement concluded with Brussels before Christmas.

"For us, this means the end of the malevolent disputes over Europe that poisoned our policy for a long time," Johnson said, adding, "For our friends, this certainly does not mean that they lost us, or lost our desire for Maserati cars or their wine."

Customs controls

The free trade agreement reached with Brussels would spare the two parties a cruel exit that would have had devastating economic repercussions, but the change is real.

Free movement, which allows goods and people to move unimpeded at borders, has stopped, with the exception of movement between Spain and Gibraltar.

British region, as well as between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

From now on, it is necessary to fill in customs data, undergo health checks for export through the English Channel, obtain a residence card in order to settle on the opposite bank, and a health certificate for dogs and cats that are transported with their owners to the European Union countries.

On Friday morning, while the first ferries set out towards France, the English port of Dover was quiet without the obstacles that some feared due to the new customs procedures and inspections that came into effect, and policemen were checking that truck drivers abide by the rules, and that they were not infected with the new Corona virus before Allow them to follow their path.

Customs officials inspect European trucks after their arrival at Larn Harbor in Northern Ireland at dawn on Friday (Getty Images)

About 200 trucks passed through the Channel Tunnel "without any problem" Thursday night and Friday, according to the administration of "Getlink", the tunnel operator.

"Traffic is well managed for an exceptional and historic night," a group spokesperson said. "Everything went well."

"All the trucks have completed the measures" imposed by Brexit, he said.

On the French side, new official measures came into effect at midnight, with the arrival of the first truck to transport heavy goods from Romania, at the checkpoint for trucks heading to the United Kingdom.

Fears and challenges

Johnson promised his countrymen a stronger place in the world to Britain as a pioneer in free trade.

But in the near future, Britain - which is leaving the bosom of Europe - is recording high deaths and infections with the emerging Corona virus, and the worst economic crisis in 3 decades.

London has concluded trade agreements with 60 countries, including Japan, but the settlement it wanted with the United States may falter with Donald Trump leaving power and Joe Biden arriving at the White House.

A truck driver prepares his identification documents to show before traveling to France on the first day after the end of the Brexit transition period (Reuters)

But the country faces great challenges, especially the accelerating spread of the Corona epidemic, which has caused the death of more than 73,500 people, which is among the worst in Europe, and the worst economic crisis in 3 decades.

Internally, Johnson must unify the ranks of the British, who were divided towards Brexit as the country's unity cracked, as Northern Ireland and Scotland voted against leaving the European Union, and dreamed of independence.

He promised to return

In this regard, the Scottish Prime Minister - intending to hold a new referendum on independence - wrote on Twitter, "Scotland will return soon, O Europe."

If calm prevailed in the country on Friday, the obstacles surrounding the ports are expected with the resumption of full activity next week, especially if the new measures will slow down traffic.

This is how the prominent port of Holyhead in Wales near Ireland could see "delays in the coming weeks," as the Media Center for Road Traffic in Wales warned on Twitter.

Friday's shipments were rejected 6 because they did not comply with the rules.

In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said, "Trade exchange - valued at 80 billion euros - will from now on be exposed to obstacles across the Sea of ​​Ireland between Britain and Ireland due to controls, permits, bureaucracy, cost and delay."

Silently departure

Britain left the European single market without a word of farewell from the European Union.

In Brussels, none of the leaders of the European institutions commented on the "final divorce" between the two parties.

In his speech to the French on Thursday on the occasion of the New Year, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the United Kingdom remains "our friend and our ally" despite its exit from the Union.

With Brexit, companies operating in financial services - a major sector in London - will lose their right to automatically offer their services in the European Union, and they will have to open offices in member states in order to be able to work in them, and British universities will from now on be excluded from the Erasmus program. To exchange students.

The agreement provides Britain with access to the vast European market of 450 million consumers, without customs duties or quotas, but the European Union reserves the right to impose sanctions and demand compensation to avoid any unfair competition if its rules in the areas of government aid, the environment, the right to work and taxes are not respected. .

When it fell at 23:00 Thursday local time, the United Kingdom was no longer implementing European Union rules and the freedom of movement of more than 500 million people between Britain and the 27 countries of the European Union ended.

However, Gibraltar - a British enclave off the coast of southern Spain - remains an exception, after striking a last-minute deal with Madrid to avoid major border obstacles.

As for marine fishing, which was a thorny topic in negotiations until the last minute, the agreement provides for a transitional phase until June 2026.