Dublin, March 28, 2024 (AFP)
Irish police said Thursday that four people had been arrested on suspicion of being linked to a suspected criminal fire last December at a hotel set to host asylum seekers.
The blaze at the Ross Lake House hotel in Galway, western Ireland, broke out December 16 in what police described as a "criminal damage incident".
At the time of the fire no one was staying at the hotel, which was due to host 70 asylum seekers. There was no official account on the level of damage.
According to police, two males aged in their 40s and 50s and two females in their 40s and 50s were arrested in connection with the fire.
"There is no justification for violence, arson or vandalism in our Republic. Ever," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the day after the fire.
Since 2018, arson attacks have sharply increased on properties around the country that were earmarked or rumoured to be planned for accommodating those seeking international protection.
During violent riots in Dublin last November that were sparked by unrest over increased immigration and ignited by a knife attack outside a school, rioters also targeted a number of properties used to house asylum seekers.
As tensions rise about immigration in many areas, the government has retreated from its policy of accommodating asylum-seekers in mostly privately owned commercial properties like hotels and hostels.
In plans unveiled Wednesday, Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman said the government plans to provide for 14,000 beds by the end of 2028 by building pre-fabricated reception centres on state-owned land.

Sumber : AFP