I'm not sure why Observer (who I guess supports Brexit) is so defensive. All this is an inevitable and even an intended outcome of leaving the EU. If a deal is done, now or in the future, other measures may be put in place to make these issues easier, possibly but not necessarily by replicating the current arrangements. Until then our dealings with the EU will be at arms length, which will inevitably mean more complicated and almost certainly more expensive. It's what the country voted for, apparently.