Effigies of refugees set alight on bonfire condemned in Northern Ireland

A model depicting refugees in a boat was set ablaze on a bonfire in Moygashel, a pro-British town near Belfast, sparking widespread condemnation from across Northern Ireland’s political spectrum.

The incident occurred Thursday night, just weeks after attacks on homes believed to house migrants in the region.

Police have launched an investigation, treating the act as a potential hate crime.

The display featured eight figures wearing life jackets in a model boat, placed on top of a massive bonfire built from more than 50 wooden pallets. Alongside the boat were banners reading "Stop the Boats" and "Veterans before Refugees," and an Irish flag.

The bonfire was part of annual 11 July celebrations in Protestant loyalist areas, held on the eve of commemorations for King William of Orange’s 1690 victory at the Battle of the Boyne. Bonfires and parades marking the occasion have historically sparked unrest, even after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought relative peace to Northern Ireland.

Footage shared online showed a large crowd watching the bonfire being lit, accompanied by fireworks and music from a pipe band.

Sinn Féin lawmaker Colm Gildernew condemned the act as "deplorable" and accused it of inciting hatred.

Ulster Unionist Party leader and current health minister Mike Nesbitt also criticised the display, saying it was “sickening, deplorable and entirely out of step with what is supposed to be a cultural celebration.”

Both had previously urged for the effigies to be removed before the fire.

The incident follows recent unrest in Ballymena, where masked individuals attacked police, and set homes and vehicles ablaze, raising further concerns about growing tensions surrounding immigration and cultural expressions.

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