Police on Sunday (December 17) said they are investigating a "criminal damage incident by fire" at a group of properties in the village of Rosscahill in western Ireland, reported the news agency Reuters. The fire was brought under control late on Saturday night, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Irish Times, which posted videos of the fire, commented on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Garda (police) sources had said the investigation was in its early stages, and it would take "some time to confirm where in the building, and precisely how, the fire was started."

However, on Sunday the Garda confirmed they were investigating one line of inquiry, that the blaze had been started "to ensure the hotel could not be used as a center for asylum seekers." On Monday, the Irish Migration Minister Roderic O'Gorman said he thought the fire had been "designed to intimidate asylum seekers."

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed "deep concern" about the reports of suspected criminal damage, and added that this property was not the only one to have been affected by reports of criminal damage after they had been earmarked for those seeking international protection.

"There is no justification for violence, arson or vandalism in our Republic," Varadkar was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Hotel earmarked to house 70 migrants

The Ross Lake House hotel which was partly destroyed had been earmarked to house at least 70 asylum seekers from this coming Thursday.

Protests had been held at the property earlier on Saturday, following a blockade which started a few days earlier, reported the Irish Times. Protesters placed a portacabin across the entrance to the hotel, and maintained a vigil there, "keeping warm by lighting fires in steel drums."

Also read: Irish government 'very concerned' about asylum sleepers in tents

Tensions in Ireland between residents and new arrivals

In actions which have been replicated all over the country in recent months amid Ireland's shortage of suitable accommodation to house asylum seekers, the protesters wanted to try and prevent the asylum seekers from being moved into their local community.

The cost of living crisis, affecting many European countries, and the economic downturn, have exacerbated tensions between some local residents and new arrivals in the country.

Some protests have called on the government to prioritize Irish people first when there is a shortage of funding and accommodation for everyone in the island nation. Other protesters have brandished signs saying "Ireland is full."

Riots and arson attacks

According to the Irish Times, the hotel buildings Rosscahill had been purchased by an American company that was planning to renovate and restore the facilities. It was not clear, reported the newspaper, whether they still owned the property "when an agreement was reached for it to be used to accommodate international protection applicants."

The previously reported owners had not replied to a request for comment by Sunday when the newspaper went to press. However, the Irish government confirmed on Friday that they had signed a year-long initial agreement to house 70 asylum seekers there.

Last week, the government agency that deals with housing asylum seekers admitted it had taken to handing out tents and warm sleeping bags to some who were being forced onto the streets amid the accommodation shortage.

In November, riots erupted in Dublin after social media posts blamed a stabbing incident on an "illegal immigrant." It was later reported by the BBC that the man held Irish residency and had been in the country for several decades. Some Irish newspapers added that the suspect had been born in Algeria.

During the riots, the police were attacked, and vehicles and rubbish bins were set alight. A petrol bomb was thrown through the front of a property in Dublin earmarked for refugees. The Irish Times reported that it was the second time this year that that property had suffered an attack. The front windows of a dormitory in Dublin were also smashed by rioters.

Also read: Makeshift migrant camps spring up amid protests in Ireland

Sustained protest

Back in August, the newspaper said that a property in south Dublin was set on fire after it was rumored it was about to be used to accommodate asylum seekers. Another arson attack was reported in county Cork for a former school designated to house Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion of their country.

In May 2023, a center for refugees and a makeshift camp in Dublin were targeted and set on fire, and in January, another property in Dublin, a former boy’s school, was set on fire reported the Irish Times. The newspaper also reported similar types of incidents in 2022 and as far back as 2019.

The Irish Times reported that videos of this latest fire were "heavily shared across social media, including via accounts linked to previous far-right rhetoric and events."

In November, heavy plant machinery was also destroyed in an arson attack in another county, Wexford, reported the Irish Times, as plans to turn another former hotel into accommodation for asylum seekers was under way.

Also read: Fire destroys makeshift migrant camp in Dublin

Irish Prime Minister: 'People carrying out crimes are a very small minority'

The Irish government and many organizations that work with migrants, asylum seekers and refugees have been quick to add that the majority of Irish people have been hugely welcoming to new arrivals.

Varadkar, reported Reuters, has sought to reassure the general population, saying that all asylum seekers are registered, fingerprinted and checked against watch lists. He underlined, "the response from many communities has been incredible. We’ve seen people open their homes, schools, clubs and communities to help those most in need. The people carrying out these crimes are a very small minority."

The Irish government is currently providing accommodation to almost 100,000 asylum seekers, including those who have fled the war in Ukraine (more than 73,000) and those who are applying for international protection (more than 25,000). The government department responsible for housing asylum seekers told the Irish Times that "in the last six months, there has been an average of 560 people seeking accommodation every week."

Ireland's Migration Minister Roderic O’Gorman posted on X that "politicians across the board should condemn this disgraceful act and the fear mongering that led to it." He told the Irish Times that "all those seeking protection have a right to safety while their application is examined."

Green Party Politician, Senator Pauline O’Reilly, in whose constituency the attack took place told the Irish Times she was "disgusted" by the fire and she begged "of people to show their common humanity."

Justice Minister Helen McEntee, said that she did not believe that "these acts …represent the values of Irish people."

With Reuters and AFP

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