Belfast knife attack: Calls for action on 'wide open' Irish border - as MP says frontier is only open for British and Irish citizens

Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann says the Irish government have been “unwilling or unable” to police the border from from their side – while the DUP leader Gavin Robinson says the UK government “must take urgent action to address growing concerns about border security”.

It has now emerged that the suspect in the attack which has sparked days of rioting in Northern Ireland was granted asylum in the UK under a fast-track system.

On Wednesday, UK and Irish ministers met to discuss travel rules in the British Isles, with Dublin saying it has agreed to work with London and Belfast to “prevent abuse” of the common travel area (CTA).

However, TUV leader Jim Allister has accused “some media and politicians” of portraying the frontier “as an open border for all” when it exists only for those legally within the British Isles.

Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30, is charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie in North Belfast. It has now emerged he only had to complete a Home Office questionnaire rather than attend a face-to-face interview because of the “security and humanitarian situation” in his homeland.

He travelled from the north African country to Paris and then on to Dublin before boarding a bus to Belfast in February 2023. He was then granted refugee status and given five years leave to remain in the UK, until 2028.

The streamlined asylum process scheme was set up when Rishi Sunak was prime minister, in an effort to get to grips with a backlog on asylum claims.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said all she can do is apologise to people – arguing that the former Conservative ministers who “enacted that policy have now run to Reform and pretending they had nothing to do with it”.

On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long spoke by phone, and discussed the CTA.

Ireland’s Department of Justice said that Mr O’Callaghan had emphasised to Mrs Long and Mr Benn the “significant” border management operations taking place at Dublin Airport. It said the number of people landing without documentation has reduced significantly since 2023.

However, the TUV leader has urged the Irish government to “come clean” on whether the Belfast stabbing suspect had initially claimed asylum in the Republic.

He said the Republic can lawfully check the status of travellers entering from Northern Ireland, yet 2the UK refuses to reciprocate, leaving NI a dumping ground for illegals who come to ROI and onwards to the UK - often, it seems, even signposted north by ROI officials”.

“Failure to impose any checks has been, and continues to be, a fundamental dereliction by the NIO and Home Office. Acting to correct this is the starting point for getting a grip on an out of control situation”, the North Antrim MP said.

He also questioned on what basis the Sudanese national was admitted into the Republic of Ireland at Dublin Airport – and whether he had residency or asylum status previous to entering the Irish Republic.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has also said there are “questions to be asked” about the checks taking place in Dublin.

“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.”

North Antrim MP Robin Swann MP said: “The Common Travel Area has always something that the Irish Government having been unwilling or unable to protect or police from their side, as was apparent during the pandemic when the sharing of information was a challenge.

“At that point the then First Minister and deputy First Minister called for a British-Irish Council meeting to hammer out the issues. That is what the NI Secretary of State and Irish Government should be doing now, as their silence is notable”.

Speaking after a meeting with the Secretary of State on Thursday, the DUP leader said the current arrangements along the border “are not commanding public confidence”.

“Given the efforts that the Government has taken to check plants, toys and seeds moving from GB to NI, it is not good enough that our Southern border lies wide open. The disclosure that only one asylum seeker has been returned from the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland since the post-Brexit returns arrangements came into force represents a damning indictment of both the UK and Irish Governments.

“The Government must demonstrate that it is serious about protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom’s immigration system and ensuring that Northern Ireland does not become a weak point within it.

“We sought clear answers on what practical steps are being taken to tackle abuse of the border, strengthen enforcement and improve cooperation with the Irish Government”, Gavin Robinson said.

The government has briefed journalists that it will intensify immigration enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland.

It says nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed in the last year alone – and the number of asylum seekers in supported accommodation in Northern Ireland has decreased by 6% under this Government, from 2,530 in June 2024 to 2,379 in March 2026.

Government officials cited Operation Comby, a multi-agency crackdown targeting abuse of the Common Travel Area. They say the scheme has led to the arrest of 250 organised criminals and immigration offenders, as well as the seizure of over £435,000 of criminal cash.

During “intensifications”, officers provide “24/7 coverage of various seaports, airports, roads and rail networks to catch those circumventing UK immigration laws”, officials say.