Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister is facing criticism from Alliance Party representatives after posting a cartoon on social media depicting a bus travelling from Dublin to Northern Ireland with the text 'stop the buses' and 'migrant Express'.

North Down MLA Eoin Tennyson called the image racist, reckless and irresponsible. Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood described it as crass and childish, and noted it was generated by artificial intelligence.

Mr Allister defended the post during an interview on BBC Radio Ulster, arguing it illustrated the abuse of the Common Travel Area, which he said allowed unfiltered and unchecked migration into the United Kingdom. He said his comment was legitimate and condemned the recent disorder in Belfast, but rejected any link between the cartoon and the violence.

The exchange follows nights of unrest in north Belfast after a knife attack in the area. Houses and cars were set alight, and all public transport in the city was suspended.

A 30-year-old Sudanese man, Hadi Alodid, with an address on Duncairn Avenue, appeared in court charged with attempted murder. He had travelled from Dublin to Belfast in 2023 and was granted refugee status that year.

The Common Travel Area permits passport-free movement for British and Irish citizens. Non-citizens require documentation. Under Operation Gull, a joint policing initiative, individuals found without correct documents can be detained and returned to the Republic of Ireland, unless they claim asylum, in which case they enter the UK system.