LAST UPDATE | 8 Aug

TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS is set to meet with representatives of the Indian community in Ireland next week after a rise in attacks.

In a statement today, the Embassy of Ireland in India said the meeting is due to take place this coming Monday.

The Ireland India Council, which aims to foster connections between the two countries, welcomed the “strong” statement from the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi condemning the recent attacks.

The Council said that racism and xenophobia have no place in our society and that the “Indian community’s contributions continue to enrich Ireland, and our shared bonds remain strong”.

In the latest attack, an Indian man who has been living in Ireland for over 20 years was attacked and robbed while cycling to work near Dublin’s Grand Canal on Wednesday.

Other incidents have included a man being attacked by a gang of teenagers while walking to his apartment, a six-year-old girl being attacked and verbally abused in Co Waterford, and a man being stripped and attacked in Tallaght after being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour.

The Ireland India Council said it will use the meeting to call for the formal recognition of recent assaults as hate crimes, and it will also call for the creation of a task force on hate crime and youth violence.

The Council will also call for increased community policing and a more visible Garda presence in the areas most affected by these incidents.

It will also recommend the “swift prosecution of offenders in hate-related cases” and propose “legislative reform to hold parents criminally and financially accountable for repeat violent actions by minors in their care”.

The Council said urgent action is needed to prevent the normalisation of violence.

Last week, the Indian Embassy in Ireland warned citizens to “avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours” due to the recent increase in physical attacks.

In a statement today, the Irish Embassy in India said it is “deeply shocked and saddened by the recent violent attacks against Indian citizens”.

The Embassy said the attacks are an “assault on the values of equality and human dignity that Ireland holds dear”.

Statement from Embassy New Delhi 📄

🇮🇪🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/ouARR4ILPV

— Irish Embassy India (@IrlEmbIndia) August 8, 2025

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The Embassy added that the “actions of the few do not reflect the spirit of the Irish people” and that such racism and xenophobia “will not be tolerated”.

It also noted that Ireland has a “long and proud history of migration” and is now a “welcoming home for those who seek opportunity, safety and belonging”.

The Embassy added that “society is enriched by the diversity of people who live in Ireland, particularly our Indian community”.

The statement said that the Embassy is in regular contact with the Indian Embassy in Dublin, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the gardaí regarding recent investigations.

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