Ireland - January 2024

More than 750 asylum seekers in Ireland have been forced to sleep on the streets due to a shortage of accommodation, while establishments intending to house them have encountered threats, protests, and arson attacks. The increasing hostilities have intensified over the past year, fueled by the conflict in Ukraine, which has prompted an influx of asylum seekers to Ireland, combined by an ongoing housing crisis. The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) cautioned that the country is nearing a critical juncture in its treatment of asylum seekers. In 2023, there were 15 arson attacks directed at facilities designated for asylum seekers. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has expressed grave concern over these attacks, pledging arrests and stressing the imperative to address the situation.

Sources: The Irish Times, BBC News, The Conversation, Twitter