Ireland's President Michael D Higgins condemned the recent racist attacks against Indians in his country and made important remarks on how migration has shaped society.

“Ireland has long been shaped by migration, both outward and inward. Those who left our shores carried our culture and values into faraway lands, often depending on the generosity of strangers,” his statement read.

He said that “shared human experience” must guide the way the nation treats “those who have come to make their lives here (in Ireland)”. He stressed, “To forget that is to lose a part of ourselves.”

The president said that social media platforms are part of the shared space that “should never be poisoned by messages of hate”.

He expressed concern for what he called “the most fundamental and enduring instincts of Irishness… hospitality, friendship, and care for others”.

Speaking about the Indian community, he said, “We are all mindful of the immense contribution this community has made, and continues to make, to so many aspects of Irish life, in medicine, nursing, the caring professions, in cultural life, in business and enterprise, to cite just some. Their presence, their work, their culture, have been a source of enrichment and generosity to our shared life.”

His statement came after at least two serious incidents, one in which a six-year-old girl of Indian origin was assaulted and racially abused, and another in which an Indian taxi driver was attacked by two passengers who told him to “go back to your country”.

As security concerns increased, one of Ireland’s largest celebrations of Indian culture was postponed. The Ireland India Council said, “We feel that the situation at the moment for holding India Day is not conducive.”

The council’s co-chairman, Prashant Shukla, said in an interview that “extreme-right propaganda” was on the rise, with a false perception being spread that immigrants were responsible for Ireland’s housing problems.

President Higgins’ comments came at a time when far-right populist figure and former ring fighter Conor McGregor announced his intention to contest the Irish presidential elections later this year on an anti-immigration platform.

McGregor, 36, had met Donald Trump at the White House and was among several European right-wing allies of the US president. He said, “Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness,” claiming that rural towns in the country were “being overrun by immigrants”.

According to a BBC report, immigration had become a political issue, though not at the forefront of public concern. For the first time, it was a factor in political discussions, the report noted, analysing the mood a year after riots broke out in Dublin.

The Dublin riots, triggered by the stabbing of three children and a staff member outside a primary school in November 2023, led to the spread of misinformation and false news on social media, portraying asylum seekers and other immigrants negatively.