TD warns it's only matter of time before migrant 'seriously injured or killed'

James Cox

A Dublin TD is worried it's only a matter of time before a refugee is seriously injured or killed here.

It follows a significant rise in anti-asylum seeker demonstrations in recent months.

It also comes as gardaí continue to investigate an attack on a migrant camp in Ashtown in Dublin over the weekend.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy feels it's inevitable that someone will be seriously hurt.

I think we are in a very dangerous situation in this country now with the rise of far-right ideas.

Mr Murphy said: “I think we are in a very dangerous situation in this country now with the rise of far-right ideas, the rise of far-right organisation and the spread of very racist, divisive and hateful ideas.

“I think we are on a trajectory for someone being very seriously injured or killed. If you look at what happened at the weekend in terms of Ashtown – an attack on homeless people.

“People who are legally in the country; people in a tent attacked in what can only be understood as a racist assault – and assault on them because of where they are coming from them."

He added: "Obviously there is a lot of attention about the threats to politicians and so on, that's appropriate. But the truth is that the most likely person to get seriously hurt or injured, or killed here, is going to be a migrant, be they an asylum seeker or an Irish person of colour."

'Poisonous rhetoric'

Meanwhile, the Labour Party said the rhetoric around refugees is becoming "poisonous".

Labour said a group of anti-refugee protestors marched into one of their events in Louth last night.

TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said: "I think we have to move to a new space now because what's happening is extremely dangerous, the rhetoric is absolutely poisonous. We had a public meeting in Drogheda last night with Ivana [Bacik] and Ged Nash which was invaded and disrupted, and this we feel is really at a dangerous crossroads."