Several recent attacks on migrants in Ireland, some reportedly linked to racism and misinformation, have sparked growing concern among some minority communities.
One recent victim, an Indian man, says he believes he was attacked without provocation because of his skin colour.
On Sunday night, 27 July, an Indian man was walking with a friend near Clondalkin Fonthill train station in west Dublin, when a group of teenagers approached them from behind.
"Suddenly, these five, six teenagers, came from behind and snatched my glasses. I asked [for] my glasses back, and then they all started hitting me," Dr Santosh Yadav, who has lived in Ireland for four years, told RTÉ.
Dr Yadav said he was punched and kicked repeatedly.
"They hit me on my face, on my head, and on the back, on my chest, and leg, and knees, and everywhere. I was getting blood from my cheek, from my nose, from my ears, everywhere.
"It was so sudden and so shocking that I could not even see their faces properly."
Dr Yadav said the attackers fled the scene immediately and he called gardaí, who arranged an ambulance to take him to Connolly Blanchardstown Hospital.
He remained there for over 12 hours, undergoing scans and X-rays, which showed a fractured cheekbone.
Gardaí told RTÉ they "received report of an alleged incident of assault" in the area at that time and that a male was brought to hospital "for treatment of serious injuries." They said investigations were ongoing.
According to Dr Yadav, racist incidents targetting members of the Indian community have become more frequent in the past year. He says he was the victim of an unprovoked racist attack.
"I see in the last year, these incidents are increasing... Before that, it was good, but in the last one year, these cases are happening a lot... This time, I was somehow unlucky enough," Dr Yadav said.
Dr Yadav first came to Ireland four years ago to work as a postdoctoral scientist. He spent his first 18 months in Galway before relocating to Dublin, where he now works as a senior data scientist at one of Enterprise Ireland's European Digital Innovation Hubs. He said the impact of the attack has been severe.
"It's very painful and also frustrating whenever I remember that incident. It gives me so much anxiety and frustration."
He says it makes him question whether "living in Dublin [is] safe."
Following the attack, he was contacted by the Indian Embassy, who told him similar incidents have been happening with increased regularity.
Many Indian students and workers who face racism are reluctant to report it due to fears around visa status or employment, according to Dr Yadav.
Within the "Indian community, especially, everyone is scared of going out and many people have decided to leave this country," he added.
As well as being fuelled by racism, Dr Yadav also believes the attack was motivated by misinformation.
"I feel that we are being targeted because we have a different skin colour... I think some misinformation or some belief they have...that we are taking their job or something."
"But we are working so hard. We are paying 40% of our salary every month," Dr Yadav said.
Just over a week earlier, on Saturday 19 July, another Indian man was violently attacked and partially stripped in the Kilnamanagh area of southwest Dublin. The high-profile incident was covered widely in the media.
The attackers, who took the man's trousers and beat him in the street, also falsely accused him of acting inappropriately around children.
While attempting to seek help, the man was allegedly subjected to a second assault, believed to have stemmed from false claims about his conduct.
An Garda Síochána say that the allegations against the victim were unfounded and are treating the incident as a potential hate crime.
Footage of the aftermath of the attack, along with false claims about the victim, spread rapidly online and were amplified by known anti-immigration accounts.
The man, who had arrived in Ireland just three weeks earlier to begin work with Amazon, sustained multiple injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
On Friday, the Indian Embassy issued a safety advisory to its citizens, following what it described as "an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently."
"All Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours," the advisory said, adding an emergency contact number.
The recent attacks are not limited to Indian nationals. In recent weeks, other migrants have also been targeted, often following false claims spread online.
Earlier this month on 1 July, an Afghan man who is seeking asylum from the Irish State was attacked in the Parnell Street area of Limerick city a day after false accusations were made about him approaching children in a video posted on social media.
Gardaí described the claims as "misinformation and disinformation."
In another case last year, Nigerian architect Onyema Udeze was attacked in Dublin after being falsely accused of rape.
Mr Udeze was in Dublin to speak at a construction industry event at the RDS.
Gardaí said the allegations were unfounded, but they again gained considerable traction online.
Rise in hate crimes
The number of hate crimes recorded by gardaí has increased over the past four years, following the introduction of a standardised hate-crime recording system in 2021.
That year, gardaí recorded a total of 448 hate crimes and hate-related incidents. That figure rose to 582 in 2022, 651 in 2023, and 676 in 2024 - the highest total since the system was introduced.
However, Gardaí note that hate-related crime is under-reported in Ireland. Race has consistently been the most recorded motive for these incidents.
