Belfast: Pattern of immigration checks raises profiling concerns

Data obtained by Al Jazeera shows many who are stopped hold Romanian, Nigerian, Chinese and Pakistani passports, but few are arrested.

Belfast, United Kingdom – The high rate and pattern of immigration enforcement operations in Northern Ireland’s capital, revealed following the release of new data obtained by Al Jazeera, have raised concerns related to possible racial profiling and the effect of Brexit. Data from the Home Office, following a Freedom of Information request, covering almost 10 years shows that Belfast had a higher rate of Immigration Enforcement checks when compared with 11 top UK cities, including London, Birmingham, and Glasgow. The top five nationalities stopped in Belfast were Romanian, Nigerian, Chinese, Pakistani, and British, together counting for more than 40 percent of all stops.