Sudanese 'Knifeman' Took Advantage of Controversial 'Backdoor' Entry to UK, Bypassing Immigration Checks

THE alleged Belfast knifeman exploited a controversial “backdoor” route into the UK.

Long-standing arrangements mean there are no checks when travelling between the Republic of Ireland and the North.

The alleged knifeman exploited a controversial ‘backdoor’ route into the UK Protests erupted in Belfast last night following the stabbing Credit: PA

Both countries are part of a Common Travel Area (CTA) to ensure a frictionless border – seen as crucial to keeping the peace between nationalists and unionists.

The suspect is believed to have travelled from to Paris, and then from Paris to Dublin, on unknown dates, before taking a bus to .

And while taking the bus from Dublin in February 2023, the attacker would have unlikely been asked to produce any papers.

Despite now conducting some spot checks following reports many migrants are using the route, most people making the journey between countries are not stopped.

The clean up has started this morning following last night’s chaos Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk

We told in February how migrants who fled the UK for Ireland amid fears of being deported to Rwanda .

Dubbed the , passengers were so concerned then-PM deal would lead to them being forced to leave Britain that they headed south to — part of .

At the 2024 peak, around 80 per cent of the newcomers claiming asylum in had travelled from the UK.

But a Sun on Sunday revealed that since the ­, the trend has reversed.

Our probe found a string of videos bragging about how migrants can slip into Britain via Ireland.

One video, captioned “Ireland to UK” and posted last December, sees a Somalian standing next to a bus.

He tells migrants that travelling to the UK via the Republic is both cheaper and safer than braving the in a small boat.

The TikTok user, posting under the name Updiweli Caatto, says: “You see, this bus is the one people take from Ireland.

A man holds a Pakistan passport and Irish papers in TikTok video boasting of a 80% success rate Credit: tiktok People queue to board a bus in Dublin to Northern Ireland Credit: Damien Eagers

“In Europe, you survive either by using your intelligence or by using your money.”

MP Jim Allister blasted in the Commons yesterday: “The fact that the suspect detained in relation to last night’s brutal attack came to Northern Ireland via Dublin underscores the absolute folly of not having checks on the border with the Irish Republic.”

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister said the Common Travel Area must not be “exploited for ill purposes”.

Speaking at a press conference at Stormont following the Belfast knife attack, Naomi Long said: “I have raised the issue with the in the past around trafficking, both and other trafficking across the border.

“But I recognise that there are challenges when you can travel freely, and what we don’t want on either side of the border is to see the Common Travel Area being exploited for ill purposes.”

Albanian gangs reportedly charge £4,000 to traffic migrants through the “backdoor” route.

The passengers are given fake Italian ID cards in order to fly into Ireland before being snuck into the UK.

Police last night said the knifeman had originally made the 2,753-mile trek from Sudan to Paris, but did not know when.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said there is a “live conversation” among ministers to ensure the CTA is not exploited as a “backdoor” route.

Ms Turley told Sky News: “If people are exploiting the common travel agreement in this way, that’s not acceptable. That’s not what it’s there for.

“It’s been in existence for over 100 years and it’s absolutely right that people can travel between the island and Northern Ireland freely.

“It’s really important we make sure we have a fair system led by data and intelligence… and that people are not able to exploit the asylum system.”

Most migrants who leave Africa cross the central Mediterranean from Libya into Italy before making their way through Europe, where checks are sparse given the Schengen free travel area.

The most common illegal migration route into Britain is then obviously to pay a smuggling gang for a small boat journey across the Channel.

But this attacker is known to have instead travelled from Paris to Dublin – either by plane or boat – which is not in the Schengen Zone and so should have had to produce documents.

Once in Belfast he immediately claimed asylum in the UK and was given a five-year visa lasting until 2028.

The most common illegal migration route into Britain is a small boat journey across the Channel Credit: Chris Eades A TikTok video giving advice on how to reach Britain Credit: tiktok/@abdiwali_caato

Home Office figures show 3,376 Sudanese nationals claimed asylum in Britain in 2023 after civil war erupted in the country.

Sudanese applicants have one of the highest success rates of any nationality.

Official figures show 99 per cent of Sudanese asylum claims receiving an initial decision in 2024 were granted protection or other leave to remain.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the suspect should be deported if convicted.

She said the incident was “brutal, disgusting and horrific” but has called for “calm across all of our communities”.

She said: “The criminal justice process must be allowed to take place.

“We need a swift conviction, and on conviction, this dangerous man must be deported immediately.

“The safety of our communities must come first.

Reform’s Zia Yusuf said: “The horror of what you have seen in Belfast is a direct result of treacherous Tory and Labour immigration policy.

“Enough is enough.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK and Ireland are working closely together to improve the security of the Common Travel Area, while ensuring it remains open to legitimate travellers.”