Sammy Wilson: 'False' Irish arguments about open border are exposed by immigration checks

Irish police have not explained how they identify illegal migrants entering the Republic from Northern Ireland without racially profiling travellers, after claims that white passengers were “bypassed” and ethnic minorities were asked for passports in recent searches.

Racial profiling is the practice of singling out individuals on the basis of their skin colour or appearance during policing operations.

Garda claim that a “human-rights based approach” is used during immigration operations at the border.

The East Antrim hopeful said there is no other way that Irish immigration officials could be operating checks on the border other than “discriminating against people based on their colour and race” and that claims that checks are human rights compliant are “just words”.

“It shows that the Irish government are a bunch of liars. And always were a bunch of liars. They argued the checks on the border would breach the Belfast Agreement, would cause terrorism to start again, would disrupt community relations in Northern Ireland.

“Now they’re freely admitting that they have regular, permanent checks on the border because it suits them to stop people.

“In fact it’s in breach of not only the free travel area but it’s also in breach of all they ever said about the difficulty of putting checks on the border.”

He said the Irish government would be the first to condemn the British for its immigration policies – even going so far as to say the UK wasn’t a safe country to send migrants to.

“Now they’re imposing checks to send people back to the very country they said was unsafe,” Mr Wilson said.

“I think it highlights once again the total hypocrisy and double standards of the Irish. If ever you needed evidence of it, this is it.”

The East Antrim DUP candidate said it showed how “false” the Irish arguments were during the Brexit negotiations about the need for the free flow of people and goods across the border.

“They have no shame, that’s all I can say. They are bare-faced liars, shameless liars – and they ought to be called out for it.

“When political pressure occurs in their own country, and they’re under a bit of pressure from their own people” the Irish position can change.

He said that on two occasions – on immigration and during Covid – it was the Irish government which decided to institute checks which they had previously said would wreck the peace agreements and cause terrorism.

Up to 300 checks are conducted per month on buses and trains crossing the border from Northern Ireland. In recent weeks, regular checkpoints have been operating less than two miles across the border on the M1 motorway.

The News Letter has asked the Garda how they are able to identify and detain migrants without racial profiling, as British and Irish citizens wouldn't routinely be carrying documents showing their nationality. But the force has not directly answered the question.

In a statement, they said: “A human-rights based approach is adopted in relation to every individual stopped and no person is specifically singled out.