An investigation has discovered that Albanian migrants are being told to enter the United Kingdom through Dublin Airport, a route advertised as £2,500 cheaper than the infamous Channel crossing.
Albanian people smugglers are taking advantage of post-Brexit soft border controls between Ireland and the UK to bring desperate asylum seekers — often with fake European Union papers — into Britain.
Criminal gangs from Albania are collaborating with Irish criminal gangs to fly migrants into Dublin. There, an Irish taxi driver is arranged to ferry the migrants into Britain.
The backdoor route costs migrants around £2,500 per person, plus an additional £300 to £400 for fake ID purchased in Albania.
In comparison, an illegal Channel crossing in a boat costs between £5,000 and £5,500.
An undercover Telegraph reporter was told by one gang organiser that the trips were staged “every day.”
“You must get to Dublin; we have a price of £2,500 from Dublin to England that is 100 percent secure,” he said.
“You’ll need a European fake ID to get to Dublin easily.”
If they are confronted in Dublin, the migrants are advised to “make a big noise” and seek asylum.
“They will let you go free in 12 hours,” he added. The taxi will then arrive, and you will be able to travel directly to England.”
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously expressed concern about the Common Travel Area being used as a backdoor route into the United Kingdom.
Passports are not currently required for citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland who travel between the two countries.
According to Home Office statistics released on Thursday, the number of Albanians crossing the Channel on small boats has increased in recent months, despite the fact that the UK considers Albania to be a “safe and prosperous country.”
Albanians and Afghans are now the two largest nationalities arriving on small boats.