DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley welcomes action on illegal immigration but wants clarity on what happened after operations were completed
DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley has welcomed increased immigration enforcement activity across Northern Ireland but has called on the Home Office to publish the outcome of these operations.
He has also made a query as to how many immigration offenders have actually been removed from the UK since.
It comes after a record number of arrests and raids of illegal workers have been made in the province.
The number of immigration enforcement visits and arrests has risen by 43% and 16% respectively in the last six months.
This activity has been described as seeing 103 visits resulting in 123 arrests in 2026 so far, following targeted action across all business sectors across the region.
Hailing immigration enforcement stepping up their efforts, Mr Buckley added: "The public deserve more than headlines about raids and arrests. What matters is what happened afterwards. How many of those arrested or identified as immigration offenders have now been detained, removed from the United Kingdom or deported? How many employers have actually faced meaningful penalties?
“Without that information it is impossible to judge whether enforcement activity is delivering lasting results or simply becoming a revolving door.
“The Home Office should now give clarity about the outcomes of these operations in Northern Ireland, including the number of removals, deportations, prosecutions and civil penalties arising from each major enforcement operation. Transparency is essential if the public are to have confidence that the immigration system is being properly enforced.”