Author: Federica Marsi
Published on: 13/06/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
Anti-immigration protests have escalated into clashes with police in several towns in Northern Ireland this week. About 40 officers have been injured, and 15 arrests have been made. Protests began in Ballymena, a town of about 31,000 people located 40km (25 miles) northwest of Belfast. Some residents placed UK flags or signs reading “British household” and “locals live here” in a bid to avoid being targeted. One mother of two, Mika Kolev, said her home had been damaged by rioters on Tuesday night. In the past, this sort of violence has usually taken place in towns like Ballymena. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said there was no evidence of unionist paramilitary involvement in recent violence in the town. However, a report published last month points to a connection. The study analysed seven incidents of anti-immigrant protests that have taken place in Northern Ireland since 2023. Since 2015, more than 1,800 Syrian refugees have been settled in Northern Ireland via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (NIRRS) since 2020. Anger about austerity policies – and the retraction of welfare programmes – has compound concerns about immigration. Grievances over poor housing conditions and housing shortages, in particular, have been used to scapegoat migrants. Percentage of the population born outside of the UK rose from 6.5 percent in 2011 to 8.6 percent in 2021. First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the “racist and sectarian attacks on families” were “abhorrent and must stop immediately” Justice Minister Naomi Long said the violence was “completely unjustified and unjustifiable” Communities Minister Gordon Lyons rejects calls for him to resign over social media post. Sociologist John Nagle says several unionist politicians condemned the riots while repeating the unfounded claim that Ballymena had become a dumping ground. People feel they’re not in control and things are happening to them, as opposed to a more natural, organic change. "People feel they'ren’t in control," says one expert.
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