The UK and Irish Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive have discussed protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) and stronger enforcement to “prevent abuse” of it in the wake of the Belfast stabbing.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long spoke by phone on Wednesday where the CTA was discussed.
Hadi Alodid, 30, who is charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack in which Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye, entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border by bus in February 2023, having flown to Dublin from Paris.
Alodid, a Sudanese national, then claimed asylum and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson has said the “open porous border” with Ireland should be closed, while TUV leader Jim Allister asked for clarity on what basis Alodid was admitted at Dublin Airport in 2023.
A UK Government spokesperson said on Wednesday that immigration enforcement against “illegal migrants” would intensify in Northern Ireland – including intelligence-led operations along CTA routes.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said there were “questions to be asked” about immigration policy across the two islands and about the checks taking place in Dublin.
“This was a man who came through a number of different routes, through from Paris into Dublin and across the Irish border,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme on Thursday.
“And very clearly a dangerous individual so there’s questions to be asked about vetting, about the immigration policy in the UK, the cooperation with the Irish Government, how those checks happen when people arrive into Dublin.
“Those are all questions that, of course, should be answered.”
Ireland’s Department of Justice said in a statement that Mr O’Callaghan emphasised to Mrs Long and Mr Benn on Wednesday the “significant” border management operations taking place at Dublin Airport.
The department said the three ministers agreed to work together to “prevent abuse” of the CTA.
“The invisible border on the island of Ireland is among the most tangible gains of the peace process and is essential to the continuing normalisation of relationships,” the Department said in a statement to the Press Association.
“Minister O’Callaghan discussed the importance of cross border cooperation in protecting the Common Travel Area for both Ireland and the UK yesterday by phone with the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice Naomi Long and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn.
“They discussed stronger cooperation and enforcement to prevent abuse of the Common Travel Area.
“Minister O’Callaghan emphasised that significant Border Management Unit doorstop operations now take place at Dublin Airport.
“The number of people landing without documentation has reduced significantly since 2023.
“Northern Ireland Minister for Justice Naomi Long and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, agreed to work with Minister O’Callaghan to prevent abuse of the CTA.”
First Minister and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill said the DUP was “reverting to type” by raising concerns about the Irish border and migration.
She said she did not want to provide a “distraction or deflection” from the attack on Monday or the violence on the streets of Belfast and elsewhere in its aftermath.
“I think that, unfortunately, that is the case when it comes to the DUP and the rhetoric that they are spewing, reverting, I suppose, (to) type as the DUP do, talking about hard borders on the island of Ireland, attacking the Irish Government,” she said at Stormont Buildings.
“I don’t think the wider community out there have any kind of truck with that.”
SDLP leader Claire Hanna said the DUP’s comments on the Irish border are “bunkum, distraction, deflection”, and “very ill-intended”.
“This is the DUP defaulting back because they don’t really know what to do to their core policy, which is blame everything on Ireland and Irishness,” Ms Hanna said.
“Be divisive and get the band back together on putting a border on this island. We know that it is neither desirable or practical.
“It wouldn’t have solved the problem of either the grotesque violence that happened in north Belfast at the start of the week, or the lawlessness that has continued throughout. Neither of those would be solved by a border.”
On Wednesday, Irish Premier Micheál Martin said the Common Travel Area “works” for Irish and British citizens and the key to UK-Irish cooperation on migration was “engagement between the two governments”.
“We discussed this at the Anglo-Irish summit in February last in Cork, and the need for ongoing engagement between the Home Secretary and our Minister for Justice, that is important,” the Taoiseach said at Dublin Castle.
“Secondly, comprehensive coordination between police forces, between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI in this instance, and probably clear assertion of the principle that the Common Travel Area works for citizens in the United Kingdom and for Irish citizens, that’s a benefit.
“Others may abuse the Common Travel Area, and it’s primarily a framework for citizens, and so there are issues both ways that we can only really address by proper engagement between the two governments, and in particular between the Home Secretary and the Minister for Justice.”
