A man whose tent was allegedly attacked on Dublin’s City Quay on Tuesday night has described how he awoke to a knife “tearing through the tent”.
The international protection (IP) applicant from Nigeria, who preferred not to give his name, said he decided to run and leave his belongings behind because he feared for his life. “I heard ‘go back to your f**king country, you’re gonna die’. I was very lucky to escape that knife. I made the split decision and just started running. They took my bag, threw it in the water. It had everything, my shoes, my phone.”
The tents of 15 asylum-seeking men, pitched on City Quay in the capital’s south inner city, were allegedly attacked by men with knives and pipes at 11.30pm on Tuesday. Some tents and bags were thrown in the river Liffey after the international protection applicants ran for safety.
[ Group of masked men targets asylum seekers sleeping rough in PhibsboroughOpens in new window ]
Speaking to The Irish Times on Wednesday morning, the men, who are mostly Palestinian, Nigerian and Somali, recalled how they ran for safety before returning to ensure no one had been injured in the attack. “Because the tents were in the water we were really worried, we were trying to see if someone had gone into the water,” said a man whose tent was slashed.
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Another man said his passport and documents had been thrown in the Liffey before adding that he had been hit on the back with a hurley.
The men made their way to Pearse Street Garda station, with the help of local volunteers, to request an emergency referral for accommodation. They eventually found a place to stay for the night after a Dublin 7 business owner opened up their premises so the men could sleep on the floor.
The manager accommodated the men because of fears for their safety. “This is a direct consequence of what’s happened in Coolock,” they said, referring to the violent protests by anti-immigration activists at a disused former paint factory on Monday. “People now feel emboldened to attack refugees.”
The men returned to Pearse Street Garda station on Wednesday morning to have their documentation photographed so they can be referred to the International Protection Accommodation Services for housing.
“The question I keep asking is where do you expect us to pitch our tents when you give us tents,” asked the man who spoke with The Irish Times and who arrived in Ireland seeking asylum on Monday. “They told me pitching a tent in the city is illegal so why do they give us tents? It makes no sense.”
Speaking in response to Tuesday’s alleged attack, a Department of Integration spokesman said it was “prioritising people identified in the area of last night’s incident and offers of accommodation will be made to eligible people today”.
“Government is making every effort to accommodate asylum seekers against a backdrop of unprecedented demand,” he said. “However, the situation remains challenging, and the department cannot provide accommodation to all IP applicants at this time.”
The Irish Times understands a group of people, numbering at least seven or eight, was behind the attack. Garda sources confirmed they were armed with weapons and that tents were slashed and the attack was being taken “very seriously”. A large criminal investigation was now underway and although none of the attackers had been identified by Wednesday night, gardaí were hopeful of progress in the case and have committed significant resources to the inquiry.
The Garda investigation team has also confirmed allegations the victims’ tents, containing their personal items, were thrown into the Liffey. A number of sources said all of the men had now been offered accommodation.
Eight of the men had received offers of accommodation by 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Some 2,400 men seeking international protection are now homeless, according to the latest Government statistics.
A Garda spokeswoman said gardaí had responded to a “report of criminal damage” on City Quay in the early hours of Wednesday morning but that An Garda Síochána “has no statutory responsibility for the provision of accommodation to any person”.
An Garda had “an obligation” to respond to complaints about encampments, but any queries regarding accommodation for homeless asylum seekers should be sent to the International Protection Accommodation Service, she said. Investigations into the reported City Quay attack were ongoing, she added.
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