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 5653224
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am not sure, because the Member sits behind me, whether he was here when I answered the original question. The enforcement of immigration is a matter for Border Force, which is an agency of the UK. The PSNI's only role is to act in support of Border Force when it deems that to be necessary. Where buses are stopped, going either north or south, it is by immigration officers from Border Force, rather than officers from PSNI. It is already the case that people who have made false or illegal claims can be repatriated, but again that is a matter for the Home Office, not the Department of Justice or the PSNI. However, when it is brought to the PSNI's attention that illegal activity is happening, it is a matter for the PSNI to investigate that. There are two elements with respect to those who are working illegally. Those people may have chosen to work illegally. They may have come here to work illegally, and that would need to be looked at. Were they trafficked here or brought here for financial and criminal exploitation purposes? Are they working because they choose to work, or are they engaged, against their will, in modern-day slavery? All those things have to be investigated by the PSNI, because it may not be the individuals who are working here who are the criminals; it may be those who trafficked them here and those who employ them, often paying them less than minimum wage and not giving them any employment rights. Those issues need to be properly investigated. None of us wants to live in a society in which any section of that society is exploited for commercial or financial gain.
286 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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