In the documents – email, meeting minutes and other documents from officials at the government in Belfast – concern is expressed about the possibility of protecting residents with immigrant background against attacks.
The warning comes after a summer of xenophobic violence. In the city of Ballymena, riots broke out after a girl was subjected to an attempted rape and two teenagers of foreign background were arrested suspected of the crime.
The documents contain information that families have hidden out of fear for their safety. It is also warned that the authorities may have difficulty helping families with emergency housing if new unrest breaks out – and that military bases may be the last resort.
Unaccompanied refugee children have been advised to lock windows and doors at their accommodations and always have their mobile phone charged. Documents also show, among other things, that healthcare personnel with foreign background last year were offered personal alarms and escorts.
Immigrants make up 3.4 percent of the population in Northern Ireland, which is lower than in the rest of the United Kingdom.
