19 people were arrested in Dublin on Thursday as part of an anti-immigrant demonstration in the city center of the Irish capital, where the settlement of migrants has become a particularly sensitive issue. An AFP journalist said around 500 people marched in the center of the Irish capital. Demonstrators reached the outskirts of Parliament but were prevented from getting too close by a police cordon.

“A total of nineteen people were arrested as part of today's operation”Police said in a press release, without providing further details. No injuries were reported. “We're not racist, we're helping genuine refugees, but we have to look after our own Irish first”said AFP Brian Garrigan, 57, who held a sign that read “Irish Lives Matter” (Irish lives matter, editor's note). Anti-racism counter-protesters lined the road.

Anti-immigrant sentiment

In recent years, anti-immigrant sentiment has been on the rise in Ireland. In November 2023, the capital was rocked by unprecedented riots, which the authorities blamed on far-right protesters, after a knife attack by a foreign-born Irishman left four people, including three children, injured.

The Irish government is facing an increase in the number of people seeking asylum in Ireland due to a chronic housing shortage in Ireland. More than 10,500 people sought asylum in Ireland in the first six months of 2024, more than double the number recorded in the same period last year, government figures show. Arson attacks have also increased in buildings intended to house refugees in Ireland, with several dozen fires in these centers since 2023. Immigration is expected to be one of the main issues in the upcoming Irish parliamentary elections in March 2025.