Sunak claims sending police to ‘villages in Donegal’ not answer to migration

Mr. Sunak made the remarks after DUP MP Carla Lockhart again questioned claims by the Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee that 80 per cent of people seeking international protection in the 26 counties are crossing the land border from the North.

“The hypocrisy of the Irish Government position has not been not lost on us, with the Irish police now tasked to patrol the border to protect from the unsubstantiated, unfounded 80 per cent of asylum seekers who supposedly—actually, the reverse is true—make their way to the Republic of Ireland from the UK via Northern Ireland.

"Will the Prime Minister challenge and call out those actions, and confirm what representations he has made to the Irish Prime Minister and the Irish Justice Minister about the integrity of our UK border?” Ms. Lockhart asked.

Mr. Sunak said he did not want checkpoints at the border or police being sent to ‘villages in Donegal’.

“The Secretary of State [Chris Heaton-Harris] is seeking urgent clarification that there will be no disruption or police checkpoints at or near the border.

"I can confirm that the United Kingdom has no legal obligation to accept returns of illegal migrants from Ireland. It is no surprise that our robust approach to illegal migration is providing a deterrent, but the answer is not to send police to villages in Donegal but to work with us in partnership to strengthen our external borders all around the common travel area that we share,” he claimed.