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Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
‘We feel extreme fear': How Northern Ireland's riots are haunting migrants
On the second night of the riots in Ballymena last week, Michael Asuro's Ford Focus hatchback was rolled out into the middle of his street and set alight. Crouching inside his bedroom in the small Northern Irish town just north of Belfast, Asuro kept the lights off to deter the attackers, having heard the sound of the rioters breaking down his neighbours' front door. Then he watched from the window as they smashed the glass of his car and set it on fire. Asuro, a Filipino migrant, arrived in Northern Ireland on a skilled worker visa in September 2023 at the age of 23. He now lives in Ballymena with his partner and works as a mechanic, working on coaches – one of the 4,000 or so Filipinos in Northern Ireland's 1.9 million population. 'I don't feel safe living in Northern Ireland now,' he tells The Telegraph after the experience last week, adding: 'We feel extreme fear. We are not here to destroy the community. We are here legally. We are here to raise our family. We are far away from the Philippines.' The violence began last Monday at a vigil in support of a schoolgirl who had allegedly been sexually assaulted by two Romanian-speaking teenagers. The boys, both aged 14, were charged in court with attempted rape and required a Romanian interpreter. The alleged assault ignited years of simmering unrest between the migrant community and the locals of the town. Rioters sought out houses believed to belong to migrants and set them alight with fireworks and petrol bombs thrown through doors. Footage showed flames engulfing a glass-fronted leisure centre, where migrants displaced by the riots had been sheltering. 'It's pure racism – there is no other way to dress it up,' said Michelle O'Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, of the violence. Non-Roma immigrants resorted to putting up signs displaying their nationality, such as 'Filipino lives here', or displaying the King's coronation memorabilia and crockery featuring Elizabeth II, in a bid to deter thugs. A week later, the streets of Ballymena are quiet again; days of rain helped disperse the mobs. 'I've never thanked the Lord for the rain in all my life, but now I have been so grateful for the rain,' says one Filipino migrant who has lived in Belfast since 2002. But a sense of fear persists for those in the migrant community, who now feel they are walking targets. The migrant says that her daughter is so scared to walk through the street that she now wants to dye her hair blonde 'so she won't be targeted'. 'I love Ballymena, we have integrated into the community, we pay our taxes, we have created friends. We are not bad people, we are just living quietly,' she reflects. Simona Lazar, speaking on behalf of the charity Union Romani Voice, told The Telegraph that more than 300 Romanians have now left Ballymena for their own safety. 'We are in contact with Romanian families on the ground: mothers, fathers and young people who say they feel petrified and unsafe where they live now,' she says. 'There are families simply asking to live without fear, they are asking for their children to go to school without being targeted, to walk through their neighbourhoods without intimidation. 'The community feels discriminated against and unsafe. They fear that they will be killed,' she adds. 'Our culture is rich, our history is deep and our contribution to British society is real. We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking for safety, for justice, for equality and for a society where no child grows up afraid.' Northern Ireland has seen significant demographic change this century, experiencing a fourfold increase in minority ethnic residents in two decades – from just 0.8 per cent in 2001 to 3.4 per cent in 2021. Between January 2010 and December 2020, according to medical card registrations, Romanians constituted the third highest inflow to the province. Inward migration from Europe has fallen sharply since Brexit, however, with India, Ireland and Nigeria now the top three countries of origin. Ballymena, where unemployment is above average, was 94 per cent white at the time of the latest census, with just 6 per cent of the population from another ethnic background. There, the Roma community has long been accused, by some, of failing to integrate. 'These problems have been around for a very long time and very systematically in Northern Ireland,' says Nina Briggs, a 30-year-old who lives in Belfast as a migrant from Boston in the United States. She moved in September 2021 when she received an offer from Queen's University Belfast to study for a PhD. Ethnically Asian, she says that abuse comes as soon as locals realise that she is non-white. 'When I speak to folks on the phone or in writing, it isn't obvious. But I am ethnically South-East Asian so I look very different,' she says. 'I have faced racist comments and abuse in the streets, there are shops I don't go to. 'In a university setting, you get comments that we are stealing local places. Sometimes I've just been jumped on randomly – people start throwing things or hitting me. Once, an old gentleman hit me with a tray at the airport. 'I feel unsafe and disregarded.' She explains that many migrant groups now have a 'lockdown protocol' in case violence 'kicks off'. In periods of extreme violence or intimidation, those who appear white will go shopping on behalf of those migrants who don't, and take their children to school. 'We shut down and rely on our 'white-presenting' allies to get our kids to school,' she explains. Back in Ballymena, the scars of the riots are visible as the community recovers from a week of tumult and trauma. Police say that 31 arrests have so far been made relating to racially-motivated disorder, with 23 charged. Schools have been declaring themselves safe spaces for children to seek refuge. Education Minister Paul Givan told the Assembly that over the past week, children who have arrived at school 'showing all the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened on our streets'. Asuro, meanwhile, is trying to move on from the terrifying experience of seeing his car set alight.
Al Jazeera
11-06-2025
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Second night of anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland town
Violence flared for a second night in a Northern Irish town after 'racially motivated' attacks following a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault. Hundreds of protesters, many of them masked, took to the streets of Ballymena on Tuesday, throwing petrol bombs, bottles and masonry as police responded with water cannon. There was a heavy police presence in one area of the town, about 30 miles (48km) northwest of Belfast, as protesters set fire to a car and barricades. Police also fired plastic baton rounds to disperse the crowds. The unrest first erupted on Monday night after a vigil in a neighbourhood where an alleged sexual assault had happened on Saturday. 'This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police,' Ryan Henderson, assistant chief constable, said on Tuesday. 'It was racist thuggery, pure and simple, and any attempt to justify it or explain it as something else is misplaced.' Tensions in the town, which has a large migrant population, remained high throughout the day on Tuesday, as residents described the scenes as 'terrifying' and said those involved were targeting 'foreigners'. 'Last night, unfortunately, has probably scared a lot of people. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,' said Henderson. Two teenage boys, charged by police with the attempted rape of a teenage girl, had appeared in court on Monday, where they asked for a Romanian interpreter, local media reports said. The trouble began when masked people 'broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties', police said. Security forces also came under 'sustained attack' with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks thrown by rioters, injuring 15 officers, including some who required hospital treatment, according to the force. Four houses were damaged by fire, and windows and doors of homes and businesses were smashed. Northern Ireland saw racism-fuelled disorder in August after similar riots in English towns and cities triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, northwest England. 'Ballymena has a large migrant population; a lot of people actually work in the town and provide excellent work,' said Mayor Jackson Minford.
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- News.com.au
N.Ireland town hit by second night of unrest
Violence flared for a second night Tuesday in a Northern Irish town after "racially motivated" attacks sparked by the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl. Hundreds of protestors, many of them masked, took to the streets of Ballymena, throwing petrol bombs, bottles and masonry as police responded with water cannon, an AFP journalist said. There was a heavy police presence in one area of the town, some 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Belfast, as the protesters set fire to a car and barricades. Police also fired plastic baton rounds to disperse the crowds, an AFP journalist saw. Later as night fell, crowds began to disperse in Ballymena although smaller groups still milled around the town centre. And local media reported that protestors were also blocking roads in Belfast. The unrest first erupted Monday night after a vigil in a neighbourhood where an alleged serious sexual assault happened on Saturday. "This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police," Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said Tuesday. He told a press conference: "It was racist thuggery, pure and simply, and any attempt to justify it or explain it as something else is misplaced." Tensions in the town, which has a large migrant population, remained high throughout the day on Tuesday, as residents described the scenes as "terrifying" and told AFP those involved were targeting "foreigners". Two teenage boys, charged by police with the attempted rape of a teenage girl, had appeared in court Monday, where they asked for a Romanian interpreter, local media reports said. The trouble began when masked people "broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties", police said. Houses and businesses were attacked, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said, adding it was investigating "hate attacks". Security forces also came under "sustained attack" with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks thrown by rioters, injuring 15 officers including some who required hospital treatment, according to the force. One 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Four houses were damaged by fire, and windows and doors of homes and businesses smashed. Cornelia Albu, 52, a Romanian migrant and mother-of-two who lives opposite a house targeted in the attacks, said her family had been "very scared". "Last night it was crazy because too many people came here and tried to put the house on fire," Albu, who works in a factory, told AFP. She said she would now have to move, but was worried she would not find another place to live because she was Romanian. - 'Scared as hell' - A 22-year-old woman who lives next door to a burnt-out house in the same Clonavon neighbourhood said the night had been "terrifying". "People were going after foreigners, whoever they were, or how innocent they were," the woman, who did not want to share her name for security reasons, told AFP. "But there were local people indoors down the street scared as hell." Northern Ireland saw racism-fuelled disorder in August after similar riots in English towns and cities triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, northwest England. According to Mark, 24, who did not share his last name, the alleged rape on the weekend was "just a spark". "The foreigners around here don't show respect to the locals, they come here, don't integrate," said Mark. Another man was halfway up a ladder, hanging a Union Jack flag in front of his house as a "precaution -- so people know it's not a foreigner living here". "Ballymena has a large migrant population, a lot of people actually work in the town and provide excellent work," Mayor Jackson Minford told AFP. "Last night unfortunately has probably scared a lot of people. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice," said Henderson. A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the "disorder" in Ballymena was "very concerning".
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Petrol bombs, fires and fear as racial tensions explode in Northern Ireland town following teen rape charges
BALLYMENA, June 11 — Violence flared for a second yesterday night in a Northern Irish town after 'racially motivated' attacks sparked by the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl. Hundreds of protestors, many of them masked, took to the streets of Ballymena, throwing petrol bombs, bottles and masonry as police responded with water cannon, an AFP journalist said. There was a heavy police presence in one area of the town, some 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Belfast, as the protesters set fire to a car and barricades. Police also fired plastic baton rounds to disperse the crowds, an AFP journalist saw. Later as night fell, crowds began to disperse in Ballymena although smaller groups still milled around the town centre. And local media reported that protestors were also blocking roads in Belfast. The unrest first erupted Monday night after a vigil in a neighbourhood where an alleged serious sexual assault happened on Saturday. 'This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police,' Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said Tuesday. He told a press conference: 'It was racist thuggery, pure and simply, and any attempt to justify it or explain it as something else is misplaced.' Tensions in the town, which has a large migrant population, remained high throughout the day on Tuesday, as residents described the scenes as 'terrifying' and told AFP those involved were targeting 'foreigners'. Two teenage boys, charged by police with the attempted rape of a teenage girl, had appeared in court Monday, where they asked for a Romanian interpreter, local media reports said. The trouble began when masked people 'broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties', police said. Houses and businesses were attacked, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said, adding it was investigating 'hate attacks'. Security forces also came under 'sustained attack' with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks thrown by rioters, injuring 15 officers including some who required hospital treatment, according to the force. One 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Four houses were damaged by fire, and windows and doors of homes and businesses smashed. Cornelia Albu, 52, a Romanian migrant and mother-of-two who lives opposite a house targeted in the attacks, said her family had been 'very scared'. 'Last night it was crazy because too many people came here and tried to put the house on fire,' Albu, who works in a factory, told AFP. She said she would now have to move, but was worried she would not find another place to live because she was Romanian. This handout photo taken and released by the US Marine Corps on June 10, 2025 shows US Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, who were placed in an alert status over the weekend to support US Northern Command mission, rehearsing nonlethal tactics in the greater Los Angeles area. — AFP pic 'Scared as hell' A 22-year-old woman who lives next door to a burnt-out house in the same Clonavon neighbourhood said the night had been 'terrifying'. 'People were going after foreigners, whoever they were, or how innocent they were,' the woman, who did not want to share her name for security reasons, told AFP. 'But there were local people indoors down the street scared as hell.' Northern Ireland saw racism-fuelled disorder in August after similar riots in English towns and cities triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, northwest England. According to Mark, 24, who did not share his last name, the alleged rape on the weekend was 'just a spark'. 'The foreigners around here don't show respect to the locals, they come here, don't integrate,' said Mark. Another man was halfway up a ladder, hanging a Union Jack flag in front of his house as a 'precaution—so people know it's not a foreigner living here'. 'Ballymena has a large migrant population, a lot of people actually work in the town and provide excellent work,' Mayor Jackson Minford told AFP. 'Last night unfortunately has probably scared a lot of people. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,' said Henderson. A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the 'disorder' in Ballymena was 'very concerning'. — AFP
Arab News
10-06-2025
- Arab News
Northern Ireland town hit by ‘racially motivated' riot
BALLYMENA, United Kingdom: Northern Irish police said Tuesday that 15 officers were injured in clashes after 'racially motivated' attacks sparked by the arrest of two teenagers for the attempted rape of a young girl. The unrest in the town of Ballymena, some 30 miles northwest of Belfast, erupted Monday night after a vigil in a neighborhood where an alleged serious sexual assault happened on Saturday. 'This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police,' Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said. Tensions in the town, which has a large migrant population, remained high on Tuesday, as residents described the scenes as 'terrifying' and told AFP those involved were targeting 'foreigners.' Two teenage boys, charged by police with the attempted rape of a teenage girl, had appeared in court Monday, where they asked for a Romanian interpreter, local media reports said. The trouble began when masked people 'broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties,' police said. Houses and businesses were attacked and three people had to be evacuated, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said, adding it was investigating 'hate attacks.' Security forces also came under 'sustained attack' with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks thrown by rioters, injuring 15 officers including some who required hospital treatment, according to the force. One 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with riotous behavior, disorderly behavior, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Four houses were damaged by fire, and windows and doors of homes and businesses smashed. Cornelia Albu, 52, a Romanian migrant and mother-of-two who lives opposite a house targeted in the attacks said her family had been 'very scared.' 'Last night it was crazy because too many people came here and tried to put the house on fire,' Albu, who works in a factory, told AFP. 'My family was very scared,' she said, adding she would have to move but was worried she would not find another place to live because she was Romanian. A 22-year-old woman who lives next door to a burnt-out house in the same Clonavon neighborhood said the night had been 'terrifying.' 'People were going after foreigners, whoever they were, or how innocent they were,' the woman, who did not want to share her name for security reasons, told AFP. 'But there were local people indoors down the street scared as hell.' Northern Ireland saw racism-fueled disorder in August after similar riots in English towns and cities. According to Mark, 24, who did not share his last name, the alleged rape on the weekend was 'just a spark.' 'The foreigners around here don't show respect to the locals, they come here, don't integrate,' said Mark. Another man was halfway up a ladder, hanging a Union Jack flag in front of his house as a 'precaution — so people know it's not a foreigner living here.' 'Ballymena has a large migrant population, a lot of people actually work in the town and provide excellent work,' Mayor Jackson Minford told AFP. 'Last night unfortunately has probably scared a lot of people. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,' said Henderson. Footage on social media appeared to show protesters smashing the windows of houses and some masked individuals kicking in doors. A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the 'disorder' in Ballymena was 'very concerning.' 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers,' Downing Street added.
