Common Travel Area is 'weak link' for illegal immigration that was feared post Brexit with thousands abusing free travel zone admits Government source

THE Common Travel Area (CTA) is being exploited by huge numbers of illegal migrants, with 70 percent of immigration enforcement's work in Northern Ireland now having to be spent targeting abuse of it, a Government source has admitted.

The stark admission comes in the wake of the barbaric attempted beheading of a man in Northern Ireland allegedly by a Sundanese asylum seeker.

The CTA is a long-standing open borders zone comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey).

It allows British and Irish citizens to move, reside, and work freely between these territories without undergoing routine immigration controls or requiring a visa.

However, the lack of immigration controls have made it a weak link between the EU and the UK as people can enter southern Ireland and then freely travel into Northern Ireland within the UK and then into the rest of the country.

There were fears it would remain our weak link in a post-Brexit Britain and those concerns appear to have been justified.

A Government source said: "Nearly 1,000 illegal migrants (who came via the CTA) have been removed in the last year alone."

A specialist operation had to be set up in 2024 to dedicate resources to target abuse of the CTA.

The source added: "Operation Comby, a multi-agency crackdown targeting abuse of the Common Travel Area, was launched.

"Since the 2024 general election, this 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.

"Live Facial Recognition has been rolled out at the border to root out Immigration Enforcement’s “most wanted” and individuals subject to deportation orders.

"Around 70 percent of Immigration Enforcement’s work in Northern Ireland is targeted towards Operation Gull, an intelligence led Common Travel Area operation at Northern Ireland’s domestic air and seaports.

"Over the last year, Op Gull detected over 900 immigration offenders abusing and circumventing the CTA routes. The top three most frequently encountered nationalities were Romania (83), Albania (44) and Afghan (30)."

The source insisted the Government would plough billions in trying to deal with the problem, adding: "The Government will intensify Immigration Enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland.

"The Home Secretary is investing £3.7 billion into Immigration Enforcement activity over the next three years including in Northern Ireland. Investment into enforcement will increase by over 20 percent by 2028/29.

"This will see a surge in Intelligence-led operations lead by Immigration Enforcement and Border Force along CTA routes to detect, track down, arrest and remove illegal migrants.

"The number of asylum seekers in supported accommodation in Northern Ireland has decreased by 6 percent under this Government, from 2,530 in June 2024 to 2,379 in March 2026.

"Since this Government came into office, immigration enforcement activity has intensified to crack down on illegal migrants crossing the Irish border via the CTA.

"Immigration Enforcement raids to detain and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland have increased by 16% (from 2,312 during the last 21 months of the previous Government, compared to 2,682 under this Government).

"As a result of these operations, the number of those detained and arrested for immigration offences has increased by 30 percent (from 1,736 arrests during the last 21 months of the previous Government, compared to 2,233 under this Government)."

However, the Home Office is being far from open about the problem and has repeatedly refused to confirm the estimated number of illegal immigrants abusing the CTA under the Freedom of Information Act.

A man in his 40s remains in hospital with serious wounds after the attack which happened in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast at about 10:30pm on Monday.

Hadi Alodid, who is Sudanese, was arrested at the scene and appeared in court charged with attempted murder on Wednesday when he was remanded into custody.