DUBLIN RIOTS: Garda Car Torched Outside Migrant Shelter After Arrest Of Asylum Seeker With Deportation Order

Protesters in Saggart, Dublin torched a Garda vehicle and clashed with officers outside the Citywest Hotel migrant shelter after the arrest of a man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in state care. Gardaí deployed nearly 300 officers as bottles, bricks, and fireworks were thrown and lasers targeted a police helicopter; six arrests were made and one officer was injured. The suspect reportedly failed an international protection claim in 2024 and was issued a deportation order in March 2025. Irish leaders condemned the violence and raised concerns over child-protection failures and enforcement gaps as tensions over migration intensify ahead of national elections.