Amnesty International UK has warned that Northern Ireland is facing a growing “violent racism problem” rather than an immigration issue, following days of racist unrest in Belfast.
The warning came ahead of an anti-racism rally held outside Belfast City Hall, where Amnesty urged political leaders to take stronger action to address rising racial violence.
Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Director at Amnesty International UK, said the recent attacks were not spontaneous protests but organised violence.
“What we witnessed was not legitimate protest. It was organised, planned racist violence,” he said.
He added that this is the third consecutive summer of similar incidents in Northern Ireland, claiming the violence is becoming more coordinated and more dangerous each year.
Corrigan also criticised political leaders, saying some had contributed to the problem by spreading fear around immigration instead of challenging misinformation.
“Northern Ireland does not have an immigration problem. It has a racism problem—a violent racism problem,” he said, calling for urgent political action.
He urged authorities to develop a strong and credible Racial Equality Strategy, saying previous approaches had failed to address the issue effectively.
Addressing those affected by the violence, he said migrants and minority communities should feel safe and accepted:
“To every person in Belfast who is feeling frightened… you belong here. This city is your home.”
The statement comes amid concerns about repeated episodes of racist unrest in Belfast, with Amnesty calling for long-term solutions beyond public condemnation and calls for unity.
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