Indian cab driver assaulted in Ireland in suspected hate crime, told to 'go back to your own country'

File Photo - Ireland's Garda police officers stand on duty at a bus stop on O'Connell Street in Dublin on November 24, 2023.

In yet another disturbing incident of alleged hate crime, an Indian-origin cab driver was violently assaulted in Ballymun, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Lakhvir Singh, who has lived in Ireland for over 23 years and worked as a cab driver for more than a decade, said he was attacked by two young men in an unprovoked assault that has left him deeply shaken.

Singh recounted that he had picked up two men, believed to be around 20 or 21 years old, from the northside area and dropped them at Poppintree. Upon reaching the destination, the two opened the vehicle’s door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. “I’m really scared now and I’m off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared,” Singh told Dublin Live.

As the attackers fled, they reportedly shouted, “go back to your own country.” Singh attempted to seek help by knocking on nearby doors, but no one responded. He then called 999 for assistance. Gardai and emergency services arrived at the scene, and Singh was taken to Beaumont Hospital for treatment. His car, according to reports, was left covered in blood.

“In 10 years, I’ve never seen anything like this happen,” Singh added, stating he is now “very scared” to return to work.

The incident adds to a string of recent attacks targeting the Indian community in Dublin. Just weeks earlier, a 40-year-old Indian man was assaulted and stripped by a group of teenagers in Tallaght after false accusations. Another Indian-origin man, 32-year-old Santosh Yadav, was beaten by six teenagers on July 27 near his apartment, sustaining a fractured cheekbone.

Jennifer Murray, an Irish woman who intervened during the earlier Tallaght incident, alleged a pattern of racially motivated violence in the area. “At least four Indian men and another man have been facially stabbed by this gang of teenagers in the last four days in Tallaght,” she said in a video shared online. She added that the earlier victim had to undergo a brain scan and was left “completely scared for life.”

Gardai confirmed they are investigating Singh’s assault: “Gardai are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11.45 pm on Friday. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing.”

Following the series of attacks, the Indian Embassy in Dublin issued a safety advisory for Indian citizens in Ireland, urging them to avoid deserted areas and remain cautious, particularly during late hours. “There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” the advisory said. It also provided an emergency contact number (+353 8994 23734) and an email address (cons.dublin@mea.gov.in) for those seeking assistance.