"Civil war against immigrants": The threat of the Irish underground
The New IRA organization has published a video threatening to ignite a civil war if immigrants do not leave Ireland. Last month, a woman was arrested for transporting explosives for the group, and several police stations in Northern Ireland have faced attacks.
A rogue organization within the Irish Republican Army has "declared war" on immigrants on the island, threatening that if they do not leave, its members will ignite a civil war both in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, and in the Republic of Ireland.
The plan of the New IRA, the successor to the "Real IRA" — a small, extremist armed group that long ago broke away from the mainstream republican movement — follows the riots in Northern Ireland in June. The unrest began after Stephen Ogilby was stabbed, allegedly by Hadi Aloudid, a 30-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker.
Security sources in Northern Ireland told the "Daily Mail" that dissident republicans, who continue to fight for a "united Ireland," are fueled by community tensions on both sides of the border due to a sharp rise in cases of harassment and violence blamed on immigrants. There are concerns that the New IRA's campaign could spark a new wave of immigrants fleeing from Ireland to the UK, particularly via the land border.
In a video published last week on an extreme-right social media platform, an unidentified man warned that the IRA would threaten immigrants with violence if they did not leave Ireland:
"They will take control, and they will give an ultimatum, not to the politicians but to the illegal immigrants who are in the country."
Claiming that the British Army "respected" the IRA during the Troubles due to their professionalism, the man added:
"Now is the time for a civil war, and that is exactly what these guys are going to do. This will be a significant wake-up call for the authorities. These guys will show them how it's done and give them 24 hours to leave."
The Real IRA was founded in 1997 by disillusioned members of the Provisional IRA and became the New IRA after merging in 2012 with the "Republican Action Against Drugs" militia. The organization has also formed alliances with Scottish nationalist groups in Glasgow.
Last month, a 25-year-old law student, Isobelle Perry Sullivan, was charged with possession of explosives after a bomb was discovered in a car in the Republic of Ireland. A defense lawyer told the court that his client had been asked to transport a bag and was unaware of its contents.
Many local communities across Ireland complain that the government has ignored the pressure on housing and public services due to high levels of immigration. A Home Office spokesperson stated: "We have close working relationships with Ireland on immigration and border security. This includes a mutual commitment to protect the Common Travel Area from abuse, through working together to identify and address migration trends as they emerge."
