LIMERICK residents of Asian and African descent have reported being spat on and verbally abused on the city’s streets because of their race, according to migrant rights organisation Doras Luimní.
Following a nationwide report from the Immigrant Council of Ireland showing that 50 serious racist incidents were reported in a ten-week period, the Limerick-based organisation says it deals with two to three reports of racism each week.
Matt Cannon, integration policy officer with Doras Luimní told Limerick Post: “In Limerick we have had a number of reports directly to Doras; we would get an average of two to three per week and I think that would go up if there was greater awareness of the reporting system.”
Mr Cannon said the reports range in severity from ‘casual’ racism to verbal and physical abuse, and that most of the incidents are reported by people of African or Asian origin.
“You have ‘casual’ racism which might be things people say in conversation, up to people who have been shouted at in the street or even assaulted. Some people have been spat on or had things thrown at them.
“It tends to be mainly people who look physically different to most Irish people; the majority would be black Africans. We also see a high number of people of Asian descent making reports.”
The organisation is encouraging anyone who experiences or witnesses a racist incident to report it to Doras Luimní or the gardaí.
Mr Cannon said: “It might not prevent that previous incident but if we know it is happening on a regular basis, such as on public transport, we can work with our other partners to monitor that.”
A national database and reporting system called www.iReport.ie is to be launched in Dublin on July 11 by migrant and Travellers rights groups around Ireland.
Doras Luimní plans to hold a Limerick launch for the site in September to coincide with the publication of statistics around racism in Limerick and the Midwest.
