Belfast knife attack suspect: what we know about Hadi Alodid and his route to the UK

Some claim arrival via Ireland is a ‘backdoor’ that should be closed. But what would that look like in practice?

After footage of a stabbing attack in Belfast was widely circulated on social media, questions have been raised about how the suspect, Hadi Alodid, came to the UK, what his immigration status was and whether he was known to the authorities. One claim made in the aftermath of the attack was that his presence in Belfast was evidence of a dangerous “backdoor to Britain” via a route that should be closed. Here’s what we know about his case, and what closing the so-called loophole would look like in practice.