The UK government triggered [materials] Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday, officially beginning the legal process of Britain leaving the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May stated shortly after signing the exit letter [NPR report], “The Article 50 process is now under way, and in accordance with the wishes of the British people, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.” The process of ending the 44-year relationship between Britain the EU will take two years [CNN report], during which discussions on trade, migration, education and immigration will be held between the parties. The process will not be official until March 29, 2019, but they can finalize the separation earlier if both parties agree. The trade deal between the two entities is expected to take longer, but the parties can continue trade talks after the official two-year cut off. The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner and striking a deal between the two is expected to take considerable time.

Reactions to Article 50 being triggered have been mixed. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, responded by saying, “I will not pretend that I am happy today.” Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, claims the split will lead to a significant decrease in Britain’s GDP and fears that the Prime Minister will not maintain the protections for job security and living standards secured by the EU. In June a majority of UK citizens voted [JURIST report] to leave the EU due to a growing discontent with EU policies, including immigration. Implications of Brexit extend well beyond immigration, however. Scottish lawmakers, under the guidance of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon [official profile] on Tuesday voted [JURIST report] 69-59 in favor of holding an independence referendum. In addition to immigration and trade deals, the next key step is May’s government introducing The Great Repeal Bill [CNN report] which is designed to end the EU’s jurisdiction over the UK. As a result, the British government will need to sift through 40 decades of laws that concern a wide variety of issues that range from security to the sugar content of jam.