A LOCAL GRASSROOTS group formed to help people seeking international protection settle into Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow has appealed to the government to provide support and leadership.

Newtown Together’s members have been helping people who are staying at the site on the outskirts of the town over recent months – amid alleged threats and harassment from anti-migrant groups in the area.

The area came to national attention in April after violent protests when Garda vehicles were damaged and members of the force said they “came under attack” from demonstrators.

In the months since, Newtown Together members have volunteered to help the new arrivals in different ways, by giving them lifts, forming walking and running groups and arranging local outings.

However, they say that their efforts “can only go so far” without further help and appealed for “Government leaders [to] stand with us” by lending public support.

It’s a rare direct appeal to the government from a local group given the intensity of the dispute in communities, with a number of local people publicly calling on their leaders to get involved.

Newtown Together has urged “local and national politicians to take immediate steps” to help communities like theirs navigate the complexities of integration in the “face of rising hostility”.

The outside of a centre for asylum seekers at River Lodge in Newtownmountkennedy. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Local resident Kevin Graham told The Journal they have seen new friendships and understanding blossom between the different communities, but still they witness “alarming levels of intimidation and abuse”.

“Protestors have disrupted our events, harassed asylum seekers, and even threatened our volunteers — simply for offering support to those in need,” Graham said.

Among these events were a picnic arranged in one green space in the town. This saw a number of people expressing anti-migrant sentiment arrive to record and shout abuse at their neighbours and men seeking international protection as the people were sat eating and drinking together.

A number of Newtown Together’s members spoke about the different ways they have sought to make the scenic town a welcoming place, but warned that they and residents in River Lodge face regular “intimidation and abuse”.

Newtown Together has outlined several actions that it said need to be implemented:

• Develop a ‘national blueprint for integration’ by establishing proactive communication strategies to combat misinformation and guidelines on how to foster trust and inclusion.
• Provide financial and logistical resources so that communities can receive government support to fund local initiatives, provide mental health services, and “offer security for those facing harassment or intimidation”.
• Uphold Equal Status Acts which the group said would ensure Ireland’s human rights laws are “enforced to protect vulnerable populations and counter racism, discrimination, and hate speech in these communities”.
• Promote community dialogue by encouraging open dialogue through town halls, public forums, and cultural exchanges to facilitate healing and understanding between long-time residents and new arrivals.

“Our town is capable of becoming a model for inclusivity but we cannot do it alone,” said Newtownmountkennedy resident Melissa Bosch.

“Government leaders must stand with us, showing that Ireland remains a place of compassion and respect for all.”

Rachel Dempsey, a founding member of Newtown Together, said communities will “remain vulnerable to fear and division” unless the greater support is provided.

“We are calling on the government to provide not just funding, but a framework for building inclusive communities,” Dempsey said.

Another Newtown Together member, JB Kenny pointed to major difficulties in screening a US documentary about radicalisation within a family unit – five venues in the county’s villages and towns reversed plans to show it after alleged intimidation from local opposition.

Kenny, who lives in the town near Trudder House, said she and others felt it had relevance for the local area, as many had seen difficult conversations take place within their homes over recent months.

She said the film, which eventually went ahead with thanks to a gym in Greystones, offered “healing and hope” – but she said some businesses still fear supporting local asylum seekers over fears of “retaliation” from anti-migrant factions.

The group has been supported in their appeal by Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore who said a “small number of very loud” people have created “levels of fear” within the community.

Community ‘held to ransom’

The Social Democrats deputy also criticised Taoiseach Simon Harris for being “more interested in putting out this message they’re strong in tackling migration”, but not having “any visibility or leading by example” on the ground in Newtownmountkennedy.

The Taoiseach is also a TD for the constituency.

Yesterday evening, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach told The Journal that Harris and his office would discuss the pleas aired by members of Newtown Together.

“The Taoiseach and his constituency team are happy to engage directly with the organisation to offer any additional support needed for the community,” the Fine Gael leader’s spokesperson said.

Whitmore, the local Social Democrats TD, said that the area has grown significantly in population over recent years and needed additional services to help complement the integration work.

These combined had “left a void that is being filled with a really negative narrative” for some people who are sympathetic to anti-migrant groups, Whitmore continued.

This included what the TD said was a viewpoint among some that Newtownmountkennedy was being “taught a lesson” by the government and would not receive extra services.

One local man, Brían Mac Gloinn said they were “not asking for miracles” in asking for leadership from senior politicians.

Instead, he argued that with the right support, Newtownmountkennedy can become an “example of what is possible when communities come together, rather than being torn apart by fear and misinformation”.