UK to Intensify Immigration Enforcement in Northern Ireland

The UK government announced it will intensify its crackdown on illegal migrants living in Northern Ireland. The Home Office is ramping up immigration enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants. A surge in intelligence-led operations will be carried out by Immigration Enforcement officers and Border Force personnel along Common Travel Area routes.

Nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed over the past year, the Home Office said. Since Labour came to power there have been 2,682 raids to detain and remove illegal migrants. The 2,682 raids represent a 16% increase compared with the final 21 months of the Conservative government.

As a result of the raids, 2,233 people have been detained or arrested for immigration offences. Around 70% of immigration enforcement activity is carried out through Operation Gull. More than 900 immigration offenders were detected last year through Operation Gull.

The three most frequently encountered nationalities detected through Operation Gull were Romanian (83), Albanian (44) and Afghan (30). The number of asylum seekers in supported accommodation in Northern Ireland now stands at 2,379. The Common Travel Area is an arrangement dating back to 1922.

The CTA gives British and Irish citizens reciprocal rights of largely unrestricted, passport-free travel between the UK, Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. People from other countries need to show a passport and in some cases a visa to enter the UK, Republic of Ireland and Crown Dependencies.

Operation Gull is operated by the UK Home Office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Police Scotland, and Ireland's Garda Síochána.

If someone is found without the right documents in the CTA they can be detained under UK immigration powers and returned to the Republic of Ireland. If a person claims asylum they cannot be deported and are entered into the UK asylum system while their claim is evaluated.