British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he wants to get rid of ludicrous barriers curtailing trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the country.

“What we are doing is removing what I think of as the unnecessary protuberances and barriers that have grown up,’’ Johnson told the BBC in an interview set to air on Tuesday to mark Northern Ireland’s centenary, which takes place on June 22.

“We are getting the barnacles off the thing and sandpapering it into shape.’’

As part of the Brexit deal, British-administered Northern Ireland has remained aligned with EU customs rules to avoid setting up a politically sensitive hard border with the Republic of Ireland, which remains in the EU.

The Northern Ireland protocol was therefore established outlining the barrier between the European Union and Britain.

Johnson vowed his government would take further steps if the bloc remained tough over shipping certain items to Northern Ireland such as sausages.

But Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, who also appeared on the programme, said the protocol was not tearing Britain apart, adding it was an “overly dramatic presentation.”

He said that any opposition to the protocol must be peaceful and democratic.

Many residents in Northern Ireland are unhappy with the protocol, as they feel it alienates them from Britain.

The nation has recently been faced with weeks of unrest in response.