Naomi Long was speaking after it emerged the suspect in the Belfast knife attack entered Northern Ireland from the Republic.
Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister said the Common Travel Area must not be “exploited for ill purposes”.
Naomi Long was speaking after it emerged that a suspect in a knife attack in Belfast which is being investigated as attempted murder entered the region through the Republic of Ireland in 2023 before claiming asylum.
The Sudanese national was granted refugee status in the same year to remain in the UK until 2028.
He is understood to have made his way from Sudan to Paris, and from Paris flew to Dublin, before travelling to Belfast by bus in February 2023.
Northern Ireland’s chief constable Jon Boutcher said there is no trace of the suspect on any of national security databases, that he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and that there is nothing to suggest the incident was terrorist-related.
Speaking during a joint press conference with Mr Boutcher, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont on Tuesday, Ms Long said she recognises challenges to being able to move freely across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
She said she had raised the issue with the Home Office in the past around human trafficking and also with Irish Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
“I recognise that there are challenges when you can travel freely, and what we don’t want on either side of the border is to see the Common Travel Area being exploited for ill purposes,” she said.
“We have been clear about that.
“The important thing, however, now is not to demonise any particular community, any particular group of people or to put people at risk because there are many people that I’ve spoke to already today who are fearful about whether or not they will be safe when they return home, about whether they are safe when they go on public transport and go about their lives.”
Ms Little-Pengelly said it is clear that the suspect “went through a number of other safe countries before he came to Northern Ireland”.
“We have been aware for some considerable time that there are people coming across the Irish border to claim asylum in Northern Ireland,” she said.
“Those people very often, we do not know their background, we do not know the routes that they come through, and we do not know if they have any convictions or any history in another jurisdiction.”
She said she has raised that issue to the London government as a concern, adding she is asking “once again for action on that”.
Meanwhile, Ms O’Neill insisted Northern Ireland was not operating an “open borders” immigration system.
“I don’t know any country that has open borders,” she said.
“I believe in an immigration system that is fair and managed and enforceable and compassionate and human rights compliant, but that is not the debate for today.
“The debate today is about our society, about our inclusive society, our welcoming society.
“Our conversation today is about our thoughts are very much with that gentleman who finds himself as a victim of that violent and horrific attack last night.
“Our thoughts today are about creating calm in our society.”
