Northern Ireland’s Sectarian Divide Fuels a Surge in Anti‑Migrant Hostility

In recent weeks, Northern Ireland has witnessed a sharp escalation in anti‑immigrant sentiment, particularly within Protestant‑loyalist communities. Tensions came to a head when an effigy of refugees on a life‑jacket was burned atop a bonfire during June’s “Twelfth” Protestant celebrations—signaling the growing fusion of sectarian pride and xenophobic rhetoric.