Avoid deserted places, exercise caution: Embassy's advisory to Indians in Ireland

Indian Express

a day ago

The Indian embassy in Dublin, Ireland, has issued an advisory to all Indian nationals to avoid deserted places and exercise caution for their personal safety. The advisory comes in the wake of a string of attacks on Indian nationals in Ireland. Meanwhile, officials say the matter has been taken up with the relevant Irish authorities in Dublin and also in Delhi.
'There has been an increase in instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard,' the advisory said.
'At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours,' it said, issuing emergency contact numbers for help.
Last Sunday, a 32-year-old Indian-origin man, Santosh Yadav, was attacked by six teenagers in his Dublin apartment, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone. In a separate attack, a 40-year-old Indian man was beaten and stripped by a group of teenagers, raising concerns over the surge in racially motivated violence in the country. The authorities are now investigating the matter as a potential hate crime case.
'The recurrence of attacks on innocent, highly qualified technical experts and professionals has caused widespread fear among the community all over Ireland,' an Embassy official told The Indian Express over phone.
'The wellbeing of the Indian community is a matter of high priority to the embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs. The matter has been taken up with the relevant Irish authorities in Dublin and also in Delhi,' the official said.
The embassy is also in touch with the wider Indian community and has assured them of every possible assistance compatible with diplomatic norms and constraints, the official said.
Teresa Buczkowska, CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, was quoted as saying by a Dublin-based news outlet, Dublin Live, that it appeared that the Indian community was a particular focus, but those attacks were definitely not limited to that community.
On July 23, the Indian embassy shared a post on X highlighting the attack on the 40-year-old Indian national that happened in Dublin's Tallaght. 'The Embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The Embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard.'
As per the data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, there are approximately 80,000 Indian-origin persons in Ireland, of whom 33,898 are PIOs, approximately 40,000 are NRIs and approximately 10,000 Indian students. Most of them are engaged in healthcare, IT, engineering and senior management positions.
Ireland has become a significant destination for Indian students seeking higher education, particularly post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral students in the areas of engineering, technology and medicine.
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More