Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of Operation Comby in disrupting organised immigration crime between Ireland and the UK; and how many of the 49 people arrested as part of that Operation between 22 and 24 September have subsequently been (1) charged, (2) convicted, and (3) removed from the UK.

Operation Comby is an Immigration Enforcement led intensification exercise which aims to enhance focus on suspected abuse of the Common Travel Area by those involved in illicit activity.

As part of Operation Comby between 22 September and 24 September 2026, there have been 49 arrests, of which 4 individuals have been detained pending removal, 23 individuals have been removed, 8 individuals remain under investigation, and 1 individual has been convicted.

Following each phase of Operation Comby, participating law enforcement and border security partners undertake a structured post-operational review. This process enables agencies to share intelligence, assess operational outcomes against identified threats, capture lessons learned, and identify opportunities to strengthen resources, capabilities and the UK's border security response. Initial analysis from the recent intensification periods suggests that Operation Comby activity has had a positive impact on subsequent detection and disruption activity, indicating a short-term deterrent effect on individuals seeking to exploit the Common Travel Area.

These reviews take place following each intensification period and form part of an ongoing cycle of evaluation, intelligence development and continuous improvement. It is important to note that a number of investigations arising from the September 2026 intensification remain ongoing and, therefore, the Home Office is unable to disclose further information relating to active judicial proceedings.