Allister: Republic has left itself 'wide open' to immigration over its open border stance

Ireland is currently ‘housing’ some asylum seekers in tents as it struggles to cope with the numbers seeking refuge in the country – with the Irish justice minister Helen McEntee claiming that over 80% of migrants are entering the country through Northern Ireland.

Her party Fine Gael took a hard line during Brexit negotiations which effectively resulted in the international frontier being pushed back to the Irish Sea, resulting in years of political instability in Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has suggested the situation in Ireland is proof that his government’s Rwanda policy is having the desired effect. However, whether the policy will be fully effective in Northern Ireland is currently being assessed in the courts. The government has committed to certain EU rights being retained in Northern Ireland, under the Windsor Framework.

Speaking to UTV on Tuesday, the TUV leader said the immigration situation in Ireland is largely of their own making. “The Irish Republic was very aggressive when it came to the Brexit negotiations, to insist there shouldn’t be so much as a camera on the border.

“They pushed the border to the Irish Sea in consequence of a compliant British government – and now I suspect they are maybe wishing they had some infrastructure. Because I think every country has the right to defend their own borders, not other people’s borders, their own borders.

“And yet the Republic has left itself in the position where it is wide open by virtue of the fact that it dismantled, or insisted upon the dismantling of anything that could have been of any assistance in regard to controlling migration”, he said.

Initial concerns had been raised about the movement of people in the other direction – with the potential for Ireland becoming a ‘back door’ into the UK.

The travel arrangements between the United Kingdom and Ireland have been complicated by Brexit. British and Irish citizens have the right to travel and work across both countries, in arrangements which pre-date the European Union.

This has generally continued without checks on people travelling between the UK and Ireland. However, with two separate immigration systems in place as well as increased migration from other countries, it is increasingly difficult for either nation to have full control over its own borders.

Brexit has complicated the situation further, with a Home Office official admitting earlier this year that it will be "a challenge" to catch people illegally entering the UK from the Republic of Ireland who have not signed up to a new travel scheme.

Post-Brexit travel from Ireland into the UK is managed via an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – which is now a requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK.

The scheme was an attempt to avoid physical checks on those travelling across the Irish border who don’t benefit from rights under the Common Travel Area.

The programme is being extended to nationals of all countries but will not apply to Irish citizens.

Simon Bond, a senior director in the Home Office, was questioned by the House of Lords' Justice and Home Affairs Committee about enforcement in March. At that point, concerns were focused on controlling movement into the UK via Ireland.

Lord Sandhurst asked Mr Bond about a scenario in which a foreign national of “villainous intent” enters the Republic of Ireland and could “just hop on a plane to London” despite not having an ETA – questioning how security services would know they have done this.

Mr Bond admitted “that is certainly a challenge”, adding: “The overall intent is to understand as much as possible about everyone coming to the UK”.

Lord Sandhurst responded: “If I'm on a wicked mission for Mr Putin [Russian president Vladimir Putin] carrying dangerous poisons, that would be my route in, wouldn't it?” Mr Bond did not reply.

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson warned that the government needs to deal with the situation now, before it becomes a crisis – and the government’s response becomes ID checks on people travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

Speaking to the News Letter, Mr Wilson said: “The problem has always been there. But it will now be made worse by the fact that we are in a situation where there are states that are prepared to do damage to people in our territory and they will find ways of infiltrating to do that.

“We’ve now got an immigration act which will put more focus on the routes into GB through Ireland, and then Northern Ireland – because we are exempt [from those laws] due to the Protocol.

“The government should not wait until there is a crisis and then use that crisis to force yet another border for people living in Northern Ireland – in the country to which they belong.

“They should identify the problem now and start talking to the Irish government on it. The Irish government have every incentive to talk to the British government on it, and to look for solutions which prevent those scenarios occurring – because it will also impact on Irish citizens who move frequently across to GB, whether it’s for work or to visit relatives.

“The important thing is, government should be anticipating problems may arise and avoiding yet more impositions on the people of Northern Ireland and removing more of their citizenship from them”.

Mr Wilson added: “Let’s see the government putting some passion into fighting for the Union on this occasion, rather than simply allowing things to drift into a crisis which they then have to deal with”.

He suggested Ireland should conduct checks on people when they arrive in the Republic. “Would they do that? Well if you threatened to do away with the free travel area​, maybe they would”.