Irish police remained on high alert on 23 October after three consecutive nights of violence outside the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Co Dublin – a former quarantine centre now accommodating almost 700 asylum seekers.
Although only around 100 people gathered on Thursday evening – far fewer than the 1,500-plus who confronted officers the previous night – the Garda Public Order Unit, mounted officers, dog handlers and a water-cannon truck ring-fenced the complex amid fears that far-right activists would again attempt to breach the perimeter.
Senior commanders told The Guardian that intelligence suggested “copy-cat mobilisations” were being organised on encrypted messaging channels, drawing participants from as far away as Cork and Belfast. Riot units were therefore instructed to remain on standby at Citywest for at least seven further nights.
The unrest began after a 10-year-old girl in state care was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 26-year-old male resident of the centre in the early hours of Monday. Politicians across all major parties condemned the violence, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin warning that Ireland “will not allow mob rule to dictate our migration policy.”
For global mobility managers the incident is a stark reminder that community tensions can flare quickly when emergency accommodation is used for large numbers of migrants. Companies planning short-term assignments to Dublin – particularly those involving dependants – are being advised to monitor local sentiment, review security arrangements and ensure that travelling staff understand the difference between peaceful protest and potentially volatile flashpoints around asylum facilities.
Although only around 100 people gathered on Thursday evening – far fewer than the 1,500-plus who confronted officers the previous night – the Garda Public Order Unit, mounted officers, dog handlers and a water-cannon truck ring-fenced the complex amid fears that far-right activists would again attempt to breach the perimeter.
Senior commanders told The Guardian that intelligence suggested “copy-cat mobilisations” were being organised on encrypted messaging channels, drawing participants from as far away as Cork and Belfast. Riot units were therefore instructed to remain on standby at Citywest for at least seven further nights.
The unrest began after a 10-year-old girl in state care was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 26-year-old male resident of the centre in the early hours of Monday. Politicians across all major parties condemned the violence, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin warning that Ireland “will not allow mob rule to dictate our migration policy.”
For global mobility managers the incident is a stark reminder that community tensions can flare quickly when emergency accommodation is used for large numbers of migrants. Companies planning short-term assignments to Dublin – particularly those involving dependants – are being advised to monitor local sentiment, review security arrangements and ensure that travelling staff understand the difference between peaceful protest and potentially volatile flashpoints around asylum facilities.
