The Isle of Man Government has announced its intention to establish a dedicated Border Agency as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen border security, improve immigration and enhance the Island’s ability to prevent criminal exploitation and abuse of its systems.
Bringing together key operational functions responsible for managing border risks, the new Agency will improve intelligence sharing, strengthen coordination across Government and provide a stronger operational presence at the Island’s points of entry. It will also support efforts to detect immigration abuse, disrupt organised criminal activity and protect people from exploitation.
The Border Agency will be developed in a phased and proportionate way. Initially Government will establish a dedicated Border Division within the next six months through an internal restructure.
A full implementation plan for the Agency, including its longer-term structure, governance and resourcing requirements, is expected to be developed by the end of the year.
Chief Minister, Alfred Cannan MHK said:
‘The Isle of Man is an open, welcoming and ambitious Island, and inward migration will continue to play an important role in supporting our economy, sustaining public services and strengthening our community.
‘But that openness must be underpinned by robust controls. Securing our borders is essential to protecting the Island from abuse, exploitation and organised crime, while maintaining public confidence in our immigration system.
‘By establishing a Border Agency, we are taking a measured and responsible step to strengthen our resilience, improve coordination and ensure the Isle of Man remains both open to those who come here for the right reasons and secure against those who seek to exploit our systems or harm vulnerable people.’
This proposal builds on a programme of work already underway to enhance border security and follows the policy direction set out in the Council of Ministers’ Update Report on Inward Migration, received by Tynwald in 2025, and supports the aims of Government’s Securing Our Island strategy. These commitments recognise the importance of inward migration to support the Island’s economy and public services, while ensuring security, compliance and the integrity of the Common Travel Area remain a top priority.
The Agency will also support the Isle of Man’s role within the Common Travel Area, working with partner agencies including UK Border Force, equivalent bodies in the Crown Dependencies and neighbouring jurisdictions.
