Zimbabwean families with relatives in Ireland have said they are worried after seeing reports of anti-immigrant riots in the country.
Tensions have exploded across parts of Dublin after the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl by a man housed at an asylum-seeker accommodation near the Citywest Hotel — a facility familiar to many new arrivals in Ireland, including Zimbabweans recruited into the care and hospitality sectors.
“I keep sending messages to check that my brother is okay. And when he doesn’t respond for more than 15 minutes I start panicking,” said a Harare woman who said she did not want to be named as it might lead to her brother being targeted since they share the same surname. She said her brother recently went to Ireland and is working in Dublin.
According to Irish media reports, the child, who was in state care, became separated from her carers during an outing and was later found after being sexually assaulted. Gardaí (Irish police) have since arrested a man in his 20s in connection with the case. While social media reports suggest that the alleged perpetrator is an African or Romanian, no official confirmation on nationality has been issued.
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Anger boiled over on Tuesday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the asylum centre. What began as a vigil quickly turned violent — a Garda vehicle was set ablaze, fireworks and bricks were hurled at officers, and riot police were deployed to disperse the crowds.
The Irish Prime Minister and Garda Commissioner have condemned the violence, urging calm and vowing to protect both residents and migrants housed at the facility.
Ireland, long known for its openness, has in recent months experienced a surge of anti-immigration protests, particularly around temporary accommodation centres. Locals have voiced concern over safety, policing, and housing shortages — while far-right groups have exploited social media to inflame fear and resentment.
Tuesday’s unrest has been described as one of the worst in years, highlighting how migration, crime and social pressure are intertwining in ways Ireland has not seen since the Celtic Tiger era.
For Zimbabweans now working or preparing to migrate to Ireland, the incident is a stark reminder that integration is becoming more complex host countries.
Over the past two years, Ireland has become one of the fastest-growing destinations for Zimbabwean nurses, care assistants and students, thanks to streamlined work permits and labour shortages in the health sector. Yet, as one Zimbabwean nurse in Cork told Zim Now, “We love how welcoming most Irish people are, but the tone is changing. When these violent protests happen, we start to worry about being caught in the middle of something that isn’t about us.”
The Dublin riots mirror a broader global pattern where economic hardship, rapid migration, and online misinformation collide to ignite xenophobia
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