Albanian people smugglers are charging migrants £4,000 to cross Britain’s border with Ireland, it has emerged.
Gangs are offering fake Italian ID cards to fly people into Ireland, before driving the asylum seekers into Northern Ireland.
They could then sneak into England on ferries to work illegally or lodge claims.
Smugglers are describing the route as a “back door” into the UK amid a crackdown on Channel migrant crossings and attempts to sneak into lorries in Calais.
The National Crime Agency has warned routes between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain are being exploited by smugglers in both directions.
They fear criminals are seeking “naturalisation” in Ireland to allow them access to both the UK and European Union.
It added: “In 2024, a trend emerged which saw foreign nationals entering the UK and then using the Common Travel Area to travel onwards. Naturalisation in Ireland affords an individual access to both the UK and European Union, making Ireland an attractive country to migratory communities.
“It is highly likely that organised crime groups are taking advantage of additional ferry routes between mainland Europe and Ireland in order to avoid detection at the UK border.”
Almost 15,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year.
Fewer than 1,000 Albanians crossed in small boats last year.
London and Tirana agreed to fast-track the deportations of illegal Albanian migrants and foreign criminals.
But crime gangs have adapted their tactics to continue trying to flood the UK with migrants.
An undercover reporter, posing as a prospective illegal migrant, was told: “I’d like to suggest to you the best way – by airplane from Italy. I hope you have travelled in the past by airplane and do not have any banning orders to enter the EU. I sent a couple and a child one week ago. It went very well.
“From Italy, you get to Dublin, Ireland, and then to the UK. It’s £4,000 sterling per person. Money to be paid in Albania. We send you from Albania to Italy with your Albanian passports, then from Italy to Dublin on Italian ID cards. You will stay a maximum of one or two days in Naples.
“The IDs are Italian. They are real and resemble the person travelling. No one will touch you at the gates. We have information and our person there.
“In Dublin, you claim asylum with the Albanian passport, then you go to Northern Ireland and travel to the UK. On arrival in the UK, there is no passport control. Do not worry about it.
“That family I mentioned to you went to Dublin on easyJet.”
Another advert, posted on Facebook, said: “Lorry, yacht, and airplane. The best prices for those who’d like to get to the UK.”
A third in the same group charged £5,000 for a “lorry to the UK”.
A fourth, dated June 1, said: “Hello Albanians. Who is interested in getting to the UK on a small boat or lorry? Leave your mobile number and I will contact you.”
Another, claiming they worked for the Home Office, said they would help with asylum applications.
Her ad, posted on June 4, stated: “Anyone who needs help with documents, I work for the Home Office and help Albanians prepare documents, write letters to family and friends, take photos with relevant descriptions – everything needed to build the case before it is sent. Please, only write to me if you are serious.”
Ben Thomas, the Home Office immigration enforcement deputy director, said: “Criminal networks seek to bypass robust border checks through fraudulent means and trap vulnerable people into further illegal activities.
“The success of this operation marks a significant step up in enforcement activity leading to the arrest of 33 criminals who attempted to abuse the Common Travel Area and undermine the UK’s border security.”