'Disappointment' after anti-racism motion is amended

SINN Féin Antrim Town Councillor Lucille O’Hagan has challenged ‘the belief that the crisis in our housing and health service is in some way linked to migration’.

Speaking after the amendment of an anti-racism motion at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s monthly meeting last week, she said that the new motion put forward by the DUP ‘amounts to a meaningless form of words, which in essence simply maintains the status quo’.

She said: “It fails to address the rising levels of racial intimidation and violence across our Borough; a disgraceful position especially in light of recent data provided by the PSNI, showing that race hate crime is at an all-time high across the region; in fact, the highest since records began.

“This is in the face of a growing campaign of online hatred and rumours which are responsible for stirring up unrest on our streets.

“The amendment also removed our proposal to explore the development of an ethnic minority and migrant support hub in the Borough, along the lines of the Ballymena Inter Ethnic Forum which is supported by Mid and East Antrim Council.

“I was particularly alarmed to hear some unionists using the motion debate to promote the spurious claims that migration somehow contributes to societal ills such as the crisis in our housing and health service.

“Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough belongs to everyone who calls it home, and hate has no home here.

“Sinn Féin will continue to work with all relevant agencies to promote inclusiveness, explore opportunities to support migrants, and actively oppose racism and hatred wherever it appears.”

Race hate crime is at a record level across the country, according to data data from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Recorded race crimes in from June 2024 to June 2025 showed that there were 147 incidents in Antrim and Newtownabbey, second only to Belfast, a rise of 49 compared to the same time the previous year.

In Northern Ireland in total, there were 1,329 crimes with a race motivation, up by 434 year-on-year and is the highest figure since records began in 2004.

For more on the motion, turn to Page 3.