Belfast: A total of 14 individuals, including seven Albanian nationals, have been arrested in Belfast as part of a significant police operation aimed at curbing cross-border human trafficking and the exploitation of the Common Travel Area (CTA). The operation, which targeted ports, airports, and major road networks, saw arrests at Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport, Belfast Docks, Belfast city centre, and along the A1 dual carriageway.
In the wider UK effort, 31 arrests were made, with authorities seizing £400,000 in illegally held funds and 10 fraudulent identification documents. This joint UK-Irish initiative, known as “Operation Gull,” was launched to tackle illegal immigration within the CTA, which permits UK and Irish citizens to travel and reside freely in both nations without restrictions.
The CTA has been exploited by human trafficking networks, with reports suggesting that certain agencies have been aiding individuals in crossing the border in exchange for large sums of money. Between September 16 and 18, Operation Gull was executed by UK Home Office immigration enforcement teams, UK police forces, and international partners, conducting raids in Belfast, Liverpool, Scotland, and other locations.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Organised Crime Branch and Road Policing Team officers played a critical role in this operation, which targeted criminal gangs charging migrants thousands of pounds to smuggle them into the UK. The lack of specific powers for officers to enforce immigration controls within the CTA has contributed to the exploitation of the system, with many scammers posing as family members before dissolving the so-called “temporary family relationship” after crossing the border.
The operation was spearheaded by Northern Ireland’s Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations Team, the PSNI, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and international collaborators. UK Border Security Minister Angela Eagle expressed firm resolve against human trafficking networks, stating that their illegal activities would not be tolerated. Meanwhile, Home Office Immigration Enforcement Inspector Jonathan Evans emphasised that strong measures would be enacted to safeguard the CTA and the UK’s borders.
A 2023 Westminster report underscored the increasing misuse of the CTA by illegal immigrants, pointing to the lack of sufficient controls as a primary concern in combating illegal immigration across the UK-Irish border.
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