Asylum seekers in tents harassed as TikTok vigilante promotes violence
James Cox
An anti-racism group has highlighted the issue of asylum seekers in tents being targeted in violence incidents in Dublin.
The Hope and Courage Collective released a new snapshot exposing the targeting of homeless men seeking asylum in Dublin during a 10-day period in July 2025.
The report highlights the actions of a copycat vigilante who used TikTok to film, harass and incite violence toward people seeking protection - culminating in the slashing of tents and threats of further attacks.
Niamh McDonald, director of community engagement, said: “People who have been denied shelter by the State and forced to sleep rough, have been deliberately put in harm's way by government policy. They have been harassed, intimidated and subjected to physical violence. It is intolerable for them."
She added: “Between July 3rd and 13th, we analysed and documented a campaign of harassment whose online presence and reach grew rapidly from a few thousand views to over 124,000. The user posted footage of men in tents, encouraging followers to identify locations. He eventually filmed himself slashing tents."
Liam, a volunteer who supports the people seeking safety, said: “The Minister for Justice needs to step in urgently and act to end this shameful policy that makes newly arrived men homeless. As a country we can do better, absolutely nobody in Ireland should be sleeping rough, especially when they are already targets of violent far-right vigilantes who target them because of the colour of their skin ."
Social media algorithms are one of the main causes in this escalation of violence, the H&CC said, repeating calls for the "toxic" recommendar systems to be turned off.
"Platforms prioritise content that generates strong emotional reactions, such as fear and anger, regardless of the real world harm they cause or the manipulation and lies underpinning the content. This has created a system where hate spreads and thrives."
Ms McDonald concluded: “European Commissioner Michael McGrath, has the opportunity to show brave political leadership and tackle online hate by turning off the harmful recommender system, a river of hate that promotes outrage and results in real world violence, as part of Europe's new Democracy Shield being developed right now."
