Northern Ireland anti-immigration violence: Healthcare worker no longer feels safe after windows smashed in 'hate crime'
A healthcare worker from the Philippines says she no longer feels safe in Northern Ireland after the windows of her car and Ballyclare home were smashed with bricks.
Police are treating the attack as a racially motivated hate crime and say racist graffiti was also sprayed on a wall in the area. They are investigating criminal damage at a property in the Erskine Park area in the early hours of Wednesday 7 August.
Lanie said she had moved to Ballyclare five months ago to take up a job. "I did not expect this to happen here in my area. I told my parents I was safe. My area is peaceful", she told BBC News NI.Lanie’s parents back in the Philippines were worried about their daughter and eight-year-old granddaughter when they read about racist rioting in Belfast."I like it here, I came here to support the people here,” she said. “I love doing this job and then suddenly, an experience like this, it’s really hard. I am still in shock."I know we are just foreigners here and not really local people so I wish they would accept us, what we do is serve their people, we came here to work not to harm their country," she said. "Now I don’t know if I should stay or not, but hopefully it will be sorted out."I have to move on, continue life, forgive those people and I still pray they will not do this to others".Her landlord said she was "a hard working healthcare worker who is very well respected by her neighbours."
In a joint statement, the Chief Nursing Officer Maria McIlgorm and Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride said: “Much has been said about the hugely valuable contribution that our internationally educated and recruited colleagues and friends make to our health service, and that point cannot be overstated."
The Public Health Agency said in a statement: "We are all appalled at the race-related violence and attacks that have taken place over recent days in Northern Ireland. This has no place in our society, and as an organisation which works very closely with a diverse range of groups and individuals across our communities, we are acutely aware of the fear and worry that this will cause for many people."
Police are appealing for information on tel 101 quoting ref 252 07/08/24.