UK to step up immigration checks along Irish border after Belfast unrest

The United Kingdom plans to strengthen immigration enforcement, including increased checks along routes between Britain and Ireland, amid growing scrutiny of migration controls following unrest in Belfast, according to Irish broadcaster RTE.

Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan held separate telephone discussions with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long, RTE reported Thursday. According to O'Callaghan's office, the talks focused on cross-border cooperation and measures to safeguard the Common Travel Area, which allows British and Irish citizens to move freely between the two countries.

During the UK-Ireland Summit in March, both governments agreed to expand information sharing on migration and strengthen efforts to identify people abusing the travel arrangements, O'Callaghan's office said.

The issue has come under renewed focus after a knife attack in Belfast on Monday that sparked anti-migrant unrest and intensified debate over movement across the open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese national, is accused of repeatedly stabbing a local man in the head and upper body in a Belfast street attack that was captured on video. He was arrested at the scene Monday and appeared in court Wednesday, where he was remanded in custody.

According to police, Alodid traveled from Sudan to Paris before flying to Dublin and later crossing into Northern Ireland, where he claimed asylum in February 2023. Police said he was granted leave to remain in the UK later that year and was not known to security services.

The attack, which left a local man seriously injured, triggered anti-migrant riots in parts of Belfast. Masked groups set fire to homes and vehicles during the disorder, while police arrested at least 16 people in connection with the violence Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government is preparing to allocate additional resources to combat illegal immigration, including in Northern Ireland.

According to RTE, intelligence-led operations will be expanded over the next three years, including targeted checks along Common Travel Area routes aimed at detecting and detaining undocumented migrants.

The UK Home Office has committed £3.7 billion ($4.9 billion) to immigration enforcement measures through 2029.