FILE PHOTO: German Justice Minister Katarina Barley attends a fraction meeting in Berlin, Germany October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Justice Minister Katarina Barley said on Monday it was crucial to ensure that Britain’s expected departure from the European Union did not create a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

“It’s very important to me, being half British, that we don’t just look at the economic issues related to Brexit but that ... we’re very clear that we can’t accept a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland,” Barley, whose father is British, said at an event hosted by her Social Democrat (SPD) party.