Debate contribution: Illegal Immigration and People Smuggling: Criminality
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 30 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Illegal Immigration and People Smuggling: Criminality
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5653204
Read the official Assembly record
Text
There have been claims and counterclaims about the direction of travel, whether north or south, in cross-border exploitation of the common travel area. I have discussed the issue not only from an immigration perspective but from the wider perspective of organised crime groups who try to exploit any opportunity that they have to traffic goods and, indeed, human beings across borders. Immigration falls outside my remit, but organised crime does not. With the joint agency task force (JATF), the organised crime task force and the work that is done between an Garda Síochána, the PSNI, border security and border security in the South, there are many opportunities for people to coordinate the work that goes on. Much of that will fall outside my remit, but I meet my Southern counterpart, Minister O'Callaghan, regularly on the work of the organised crime task force and the JATF. I have had good conversations with him about ensuring that the border is not allowed to be exploited for illegal means. The Member talks about the concerns of the wider community. There are, of course, many different concerns in the wider community. Some people are concerned about the rise of racism and race hate; some are concerned about the rise of xenophobia and Islamophobia; and some are concerned about the burning of public services and infrastructure and damage to properties and homes. Some people are concerned about the levels of migration; and some are concerned about the levels of integration in our society. All those problems are best dealt with by conversation and engagement, not by violence on our streets.
265 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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