New IRA 'plotting campaign of violence to drive migrants out of Ireland'

Intelligence officials have reportedly warned that dissident republicans are planning a campaign of intimidation against migrants in Ireland — and that the threat has put the UK on alert.

Intelligence officials have warned that the New IRA — the largest dissident republican paramilitary group operating in Ireland — is planning a campaign of violence aimed at driving migrants out of the country, according to reports in the British press this week.

The Daily Mail reported that officials believe the group intends to use intimidation and violence against migrant communities, in what the newspaper described as a deliberate strategy to force them to leave. The Express reported similar warnings, quoting the group's alleged threats that migrants should 'leave in 24 hours or else'.

The warnings come against the backdrop of weeks of anti-immigration protests and disorder in Northern Ireland, concentrated in and around Belfast. Riot police have repeatedly clashed with demonstrators, and there have been arson attacks and criminal damage at properties linked to migrant accommodation.

Security sources cited by the newspapers also pointed to the emergence of so-called 'hit lists' — online postings identifying addresses believed to house migrants in Belfast — and to a series of incidents, including car bombings in Northern Ireland, that police have linked to dissident republicans.

The New IRA has denied targeting migrants in some statements, and has instead sought to present itself as opposing what it calls the 'far right'. However, security analysts quoted in the reports say the group's behaviour, and its recent public warnings, tell a different story — one of a small but violent organisation seeking relevance through intimidation.

What the reports say

According to the Daily Mail, the intelligence assessment was shared with senior UK officials, who are treating the threat seriously. The paper reported that police on both sides of the border have increased patrols around migrant accommodation and are monitoring known dissident networks.

The Express, reporting on the same assessment, said the group's threats had been accompanied by an increase in activity by loyalist and other paramilitary factions, raising the risk of tit-for-tat violence. The newspaper quoted security sources describing the situation as volatile.

At the time of writing, neither the PSNI nor the Gardaí had publicly confirmed the intelligence assessment described in the reports. As with all such claims, the details remain unverified by this publication — what is clear is that security forces on both sides of the border are treating the threat environment with visible seriousness.