An investigation by The Telegraph has uncovered that Albanian migrants are entering the United Kingdom via Dublin Airport, a route advertised as £2,500 cheaper than the Channel crossing.
The soft border controls between Ireland and the UK mean that Albanians can smuggle migrants into Britain, saving thousands in the process. The report details how the Albanians are working with Irish criminal gangs to fly migrants into Dublin – often on fake EU papers – before giving them an Irish taxi driver who will sneak them into Britain on ferries.
When asked by Gript for a comment on the situation, the Department of Justice, under whose aegis the Border Management Unit operates at Dublin Airport, said that any suspected cases of migrant smuggling are referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) for their further investigation.
The Department also insisted that immigration officials at all ports of entry to the State conduct passport checks on arrival to ensure passengers are properly documented in accordance with Section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004. .
The new ‘secure background route’ costs migrants an estimated £2,500 per person, with a further £300 to £400 charge for a fake ID purchased in Albania. An average illegal Channel crossing in a small boat, in comparison, costs an average of £5,000 to £5,500, meaning the illegal route through Dublin Airport represents a huge saving.
The Telegraph reports that a gang organiser told an undercover reporter that the trips from Dublin Airport take place “every day”.
“You must get to Dublin. We have the price of £2,500 from Dublin to England. It’s 100 per cent secure. You need to get a European fake ID so you can get easily to Dublin,” he told the journalist.
He further said that he advised migrants, if challenged at Dublin Airport, to “make a big noise” and claim asylum. Detailing the abuse of the system, the gang organiser said:
“In 12 hours, they will let you go free. Then the taxi arrives and you can get straightway to England”.
At present, passports are not required for UK and Irish citizens who travel between the UK and Ireland. Identification documents are not always checked, and EU IDs are accepted when travelling between the UK and Ireland.
The National Crime Agency (ACA) said that organised immigration crime represents a “chronic threat”, the “scale and complexity of which evolves all the time”.
“The NCA works to target and disrupt the highest harm of organised crime groups at every stage of their activity – in source countries, in transit countries, near the UK border and those operating inside the UK itself.
“We also work with partners including immigration enforcement, policing and overseas law enforcement, to support their investigations”, the NCA spokesman said.
Asked for a comment on the situation, the Department of Justice told Gript:
“Immigration officials at all ports of entry to the State conduct passport checks on arrival to ensure passengers are properly documented in accordance with Section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004.
“Standard immigration procedures apply and all non-EEA travellers must be able to satisfy the Immigration Officer at the port of entry that they have a valid reason for entering Ireland.
“Any suspected cases of migrant smuggling are referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) for their further investigation.
“If a person indicates or is identified as being in need of international protection, they are admitted to the international protection process”.
Albanian people smugglers often show off their deals on TikTok using the hashtag #dublinengland. One TikTok with a photo of a taxi boasts: “Ireland England 100 per cent secure. No need to pass customs with private taxi”.