Ireland’s Immigration Landscape: One Year Post-Dublin Riots

Reflecting one year after the riots that impacted Dublin, this article examines whether public opinion in Ireland regarding immigration has evolved. The unrest commenced soon after an incident on 23 November 2023, where three children and a school care assistant suffered stabbings outside a primary school in the city centre. This event resulted in a night characterized by public transport vehicles being set on fire, stores being plundered, and dozens arrested. Over the subsequent year, false information disseminated via social media has vilified asylum seekers, facilities housing them have been targeted, and the government faces challenges in effectively managing the situation. Surveys indicate that immigration is not a primary concern for voters in the forthcoming Irish general election on 29 November, yet it marks the first occasion it has emerged as a factor. The two predominant concerns, housing and healthcare, are both intensified by an expanding population. Data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals that average house prices currently stand 10.8% above their peak during the last property boom in April 2007. Across the nation, the average monthly rent is €1,955, representing a 43% increase compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. CSO statistics show that nearly 150,000 individuals migrated to Ireland in the year concluding at the end of April, marking a 17-year peak. This total of 149,200 immigrants comprised 30,000 Irish citizens returning to the country. Even though asylum seekers are not allocated housing from the same lists as Irish citizens, a debate has emerged regarding whether the current immigration figures are excessive. This year, a temporary encampment of dozens of tents appeared in the vicinity of the International Protection Office in Dublin. The Irish government acknowledged its inability to provide housing for all arrivals in Ireland. The men residing there experienced robberies, assaults, and outbreaks of illness and scabies, leading to criticism of the government for failing to safeguard the most vulnerable individuals. Social media was rife with unverified reports and false information, which wrongly implicated the men staying there in criminal activities or questioned the legitimacy of their refugee status. Aoife Gallagher, an expert from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue who tracks far-right movements, observes that anti-immigrant sentiment is showing increased organization on social media platforms. “We’ve generally seen immigration become a more salient issue in Ireland. I think a lot of that is down to the reaction to the riots,” Ms Gallagher said. “We saw at least five far right councillors being elected during the local and European elections, all on anti-immigrant tickets.” Ms Gallagher notes a rise in the intensity of language and methods employed against immigrants. “We see consistently, a couple of times every week, horrific attacks on migrants,” she said. “We see people standing outside IPAS centres waiting for asylum seekers in order to confront them and intimidate them.” “There’s a level of political violence that we haven’t seen before,” Ms Gallagher added. Independent candidates are experiencing increased support, rising by four percentage points to 20% in the initial Irish Times election survey. A significant number of these candidates are campaigning on anti-immigration platforms. Nearly every political party participating in the general election concurs that Ireland’s existing immigration framework is ineffective. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin have each advocated for substantial reforms. Sinn Féin announced plans to establish a new specialized immigration management agency. This body would be tasked with “ensure cohesion” in planning, information exchange, and prompt decision-making. “The current system doesn’t work for anybody,” Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said. “We’ve chaotic management with different bodies and government departments acting independently of one another.” Fine Gael stated its intention to introduce a contribution for state accommodation for asylum seekers, which would be means-tested and linked to income. Concurrently, Fianna Fáil indicated it would automatically deem ineligible any applicant previously denied an asylum request in another EU member state. Each of these three parties has, at various points, faced accusations of “scapegoating” immigrants. Following Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris’s assertion of a connection between immigration rates and homelessness levels, the Irish Refugee Council characterized his remarks as “problematic and not logical”. Dr Ebun Joseph, Special Rapporteur for Racial Equality and Racism Ireland, commented that blaming asylum seekers has heightened tensions within Ireland. “People feel very unsafe,” she said. “You can’t hide your colour. Immigration is first to be blamed for the housing crisis, thrown under the bus as the cause.” Dr Joseph expressed her hope that citizens would “vote wisely” and inquire about candidates’ stances on immigration policies. “Ireland is not going to go back to the day where we are all white Irish,” she added. “So if we’re not going to go back there, how can we not work together to make it safe for everybody who lives here?” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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