An attack on a camp for homeless migrants was “malign opportunism”, An Taoiseach has said. 

The camp outside the International Protection Office in Dublin, which has come to be known as ‘tent city’, sprung up in recent weeks amid a severe shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers. 

There are close to 600 international protection applicants in Ireland without any accommodation and in recent weeks tent city has swelled in size with new arrivals.  

On Friday, a tent was set on fire during a protest and a Garda public order unit was called to the scene. 

“I condemn this violence unreservedly,” Mr Varadkar said. 

“It is malign opportunism. 

“A tiny minority of people are clearly determined to make capital out of a difficult situation. 

“The Gardaí are carrying out an investigation. 

“We cannot tolerate actions such as this.”

Tent city. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The attack has generated condemnation from across the political spectrum; Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin described it as “racism - pure and simple” and Minister Roderic O’Gorman of the Greens said it was “deeply disturbing” and there was no excuse for such “sinister intimidation.”

Minister O’Gorman said he had been in touch with Gardaí about ensuring the safety of those living in the camp and that his Department was “doing everything it can to provide more accommodation this week”.

Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Labour leader Ivana Bacik - in whose constituency tent city is located - visited the camp to meet the migrants and described the Government's failure to house them as “outrageous”. 

An Garda Síochána is on high alert amid concern there could be further violent attacks on the camp in the coming days.

Main image: The torched belongings of homeless migrants. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie