The Irish tourism industry is on the verge of collapse after government figures suggested that up to 10,000 jobs may be lost due to using hotels to house refugees. Potentially billions have been lost as regional towns are set to miss out on lucrative summer trading.
The Republic of Ireland has struggled with an influx of refugees the past year, with 83,000 claiming asylum in 2022, compounding the country’s already pre-existing housing shortages.
The Irish government has faced sustained criticism for its use of private hotels to house asylum seekers. It is estimated that approximately one-third of hotel rooms in Ireland are being used to accommodate the recent refugee surge.
Dublin city has seen the emergence of its first refugee “tent city” this month. Online videos show clashes between locals and Middle Eastern refugees.
According to government figures, coastal towns have been most affected by the displacement of tourism jobs. To make matters worse, authorities are worried that an emergency support scheme for hotels could be illegal under EU state-aid regulations.
Independent politician Carol Nolan described Ireland as “ready to explode.” In a speech to the Irish parliament this week, she specifically brought up the threat of financial ruin, noting that communities will miss out on the financial benefit of the summer tourist trade due to the absence of hotel accommodation.
Ireland has seen grassroots demonstrations against the nation’s runaway asylum system since December, with commentators warning that the Irish government’s overly generous attitude to immigration jeopardises social cohesion.
Authorities issued a warning of potential riots at the nation’s largest refugee centre in Dublin last month due to fears that the month of Ramadan could spark fighting between Muslim and non-Muslim refugees. Ireland has experienced a rise in the number of violent crimes since 2019. Of note was the beheading of two homosexuals last year committed by an Islamist refugee, and, from this past April, the murder of a prostitute for which an Afghan refugee has been charged.
The Irish government attracted international notoriety for attempts to legislate for hate speech this month. Critics believe that the legislation is a subtle way for authorities to clamp down on immigration dissidents.
Irish politicians confirmed this week their intention to use hate speech legislation against populists, even though the Republic is one of the few European nations currently without any major right-wing political force with parliamentary representation.
