DUP leader: 'We need a collective British Isles approach to immigration - not a hard border with the Republic'

Gavin Robinson also said that the debate about immigration is no longer governed by “traditional political boundaries”, and that Sinn Fein has shown itself to be “out of touch” on the issue with a “nothing-to-see-here” approach.

TUV leader Jim Allister criticised Mr Robinson’s call for a “British Isles solution”, saying the UK must “enforce its own immigration laws and protect its own borders”.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Loyalist Communities Council has claimed that, rather than stoking the anti-immigrant rioting this week, loyalist paramilitaries have been trying to calm it down.

They were all reacting to three days of anti-immigration unrest in Northern Ireland following the widespread sharing of footage of a knife attack on Monday in Belfast over which a Sudanese immigrant has been charged.

Following the attack, which cost victim Stephen Ogilvie (44) an eye and caused other severe injuries, it emerged that the suspect had travelled through France and the Republic of Ireland to claim asylum in the UK.

That sparked severe rioting on Tuesday and Wednesday, forcing dozens of people including children from their homes, shutting down public transport in the evenings, and forcing schools and businesses to shut early, followed by lesser unrest on Thursday.

“Violence, intimidation and racism are wrong,” said Mr Robinson.

"They solve nothing. In fact, they make it harder to have the serious conversation that is now needed about immigration and border security."

He went on to say: “At present, there is no effective people border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"The answer is not a so-called hard border.

"At the height of the Troubles, with 25,000 soldiers deployed and extensive security infrastructure, no one succeeded in sealing the border.

"Nobody is proposing that in 2026.

"The answer is for the United Kingdom and Irish governments to work together on effective immigration controls, intelligence sharing and enforcement at ports and airports, preventing abuse of the system before people ever reach the land border.

"We need a British Isles solution that works for everyone."

In his weekly message to DUP supporters, sent out by e-mail, Mr Robinson also said: “This debate is no longer confined to traditional political boundaries in Northern Ireland...

“Last year net migration into Northern Ireland was around 6,000 people.

"That is the equivalent of creating a new town around half the size of Enniskillen in a single year.

"It is entirely reasonable for people to ask what that means for housing, public services and community cohesion.

"What is increasingly striking is how out of touch Sinn Fein appears to be with many of those concerns.

"While Michelle O’Neill’s response has effectively been that there is nothing to see here, many people across Northern Ireland believe legitimate questions deserve proper answers.”

Speaking at a TUV rally in Coleraine last night, Jim Allister addressed Mr Robinson’s call for a “British Isles solution” to immigration.

"Those comments blur a fundamental reality,” he said.

"The Common Travel Area was never designed to provide freedom of movement for illegal migrants.

"It was established to facilitate travel for those lawfully present within these islands.

“For over a century we have not had a people border on the island of Ireland, but that does not mean the United Kingdom should simply abandon all responsibility for enforcing its own immigration laws or outsource them to Dublin, jointly or severally.

“The Irish government has increasingly pursued its own immigration policies and priorities. That is its right as a sovereign state.

"Equally, it is the right and duty of the United Kingdom to enforce its own immigration laws and protect its own borders.

" We have different interests - every EU citizen has freedom of movement to the Republic, but not to NI…

"There is no solution in the UK subordinating its immigration policy to that of another state.”

The disorder this week has occurred in loyalist areas, and some observers have blamed loyalist paramilitaries for it.

David Campbell, the former UUP chairman who is now chairman of the Loyalist Communities Council, comprised of members of the mainstream of the UDA, UVF, and Red Hand Commando, told the News Letter: “I am unaware of loyalist paramilitary involvement other than to calm matters in certain places.

"I would also appeal for calm."

He added: “I suspect the agents behind the social media messaging are the same sources that encouraged the protocol rioting, which the loyalists were also instrumental in stopping.”

Mr Campbell went on to say the problems of illegal immigration are “a direct consequence of the EU open border policy”, citing the case of the Sudanese suspect’s transit through two EU countries to reach NI.

"The EU needs to accept full responsibility and our government needs to instigate legal proceedings to recover the full costs of dealing with these illegals from the European Union,” he said.

"I appreciate this may not be the best time for political point scoring, but for those who lived through the Troubles it sounds a bit rich for the First Minister and other Sinn Fein representatives to condemn street protests when their movement encouraged street protests and rioting for 30 years, and put children at the front of the rioters with the deliberate intention of them being injured.”

Mr Campbell and Mr Robinson’s comments were put to Sinn Fein, but no response had been received at time of writing.