FALSE CLAIMS HAVE spread online that a group of people housed in an adventure centre’s accommodation facilities in Carlingford, Co Louth, are not really refugees, include no women or children, and are, in fact, a secret UN army brought in to suppress the Irish population.

No evidence is presented to support these claims and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth – which has responsibility for housing refugees – has told The Journal that these claims are false, and that “the majority of people staying at this hotel are women, children and families” from Ukraine.

One such video, viewed on Facebook more than 83,000 times, features a woman, who says she is from Dundalk, berating a staff member outside the Carlingford Adventure Centre in County Louth.

In the video, she claims that she knows that the people staying there are not refugees but, when asked why she thought that, responds: “I don’t have to tell you that, but I know they’re not refugees”.

She goes on to say that “so-called refugees” fleeing the “so-called war in Ukraine – but we know that’s all another part of their lie and their plan”, are actually “part of the UN army who’s come in here to take the members of the Irish public in check, for what’s coming ahead next”.

She repeats these claims in videos that appear to be filmed the following day, where she also elaborated on her theories, saying: “People need to realise, as well, this is the New World Order. OK? And please stop asking us what it is”

She also claims of the group staying in the hotel: “Nobody knows who they are, and we have a right to know who they are,” prompting a member of the crowd listening to her to shout, “the boys in 1816 didn’t die for this!” [sic]

Another video shows a man barging into the Carlingford Adventure Centre, where about 20 people in jackets are standing about. He shouts: “Where’s all the women and children? Why’s it all men that have suddenly arrived at our village? You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

While the video does appear to only show men, this group includes staff members who can be heard speaking back to the person recording the video. It only shows a portion of the people staying in the centre.

The claims made in these videos are unsupported, and according to those with responsibility for the centre untrue.

The government is aware of who they are: refugees from Ukraine; and women and children are part of the group.

“We can confirm that they are refugees from Ukraine as are benefiting from the Temporary Protection Directive and have received relevant paperwork from the Department of Justice,” the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth told The Journal by email.

“In line with the makeup of the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving here, the majority of people staying at this hotel are women, children and families, while some single men and women are also accommodated there at present.

“The Department can confirm that those who are being accommodated there are not a secret UN army.”

We find claims that a group of refugees staying at a centre in Carlingford are all men, or a secret UN army, to be false.

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