The Home Office said the alleged attacker was on leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
He entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year.
“The individual claims to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area,” a spokesperson said.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said he understood the suspect made his way from Sudan to Paris before flying to Dublin, and then travelled by bus to Belfast on 10 February 2023 – the date on which he claimed asylum.
The suspect was not known to police and there is no trace of him on any of the PSNI’s national security databases, Boutcher said.
