'They loot every service…’ How a food queue photo sparked racist ire against Indians in Ireland

On Saturday (February 21), an Irish news outlet published an article featuring an image of people, many of them appearing to be of South Asian origin, standing in line outside a food bank at the University of Galway, Ireland. The piece focused on the university turning away students from its food bank due to a surge in demand. However, it did not specify the nationality of the students using the service. Yet, Indians in the country are now at the receiving end.

The article was later shared on X by an Irish man, who captioned it, “Why are Indians in Ireland if they cannot support themselves, or is it just a scam to save money?" Since then, the post has ignited a fiery debate on the presence of Indian students in the country, with many even demanding to “deport” them.

It soon was widely shared, with many making racist remarks against the community.

We take a look.

What does the Irish Times report say?

The report noted that the University of Galway food bank distributed nearly €500,000 (around Rs 5 crore) worth of food last year. However, it was still forced to turn away hundreds of students each week due to overwhelming demand. The report also highlighted the growing cost-of-living crisis in Ireland.

The article revealed that the pantry was established by the Donegal student Adam Mullins, who said the “cost-of-living crisis is crazy and it massively impacts us (students)".

“It originally operated out of the shed of his rented student accommodation using a donated chest freezer, with surplus food collected from supermarkets all over Co Galway," the article mentioned.

The report also noted that some students told Mullins they may be unable to continue their studies without such support. Meanwhile, the students’ union vice-president for education, Sean de Burca, cautioned that food poverty is forcing some to consider dropping out.

Neither did the piece indicate that foreign students depended on food banks, nor did it talk about the nationalities of those in the queue in that now-viral photo.

“Is it just a scam to save money?”

However, online sleuths jumped to their own conclusions, with one named Paul drawing attention to a section of the photo that appeared to show students of South Asian descent in the queue.

The full image, however, showed a diverse group of students, some seated and others standing and waiting outside the Speir student pantry at the University of Galway. The user, however, highlighted only a specific portion of the photograph.

The Irish man captioned the image, asking, “The Irish Times published an article yesterday about Galway University turning away students from a food bank. 90%+ of them were Indian nationals on student visas. Why are Indians in Ireland if they cannot support themselves, or is it just a scam to save money?”

How did the social media react?

Now, the story triggered a stream of hostile reactions online, with many singling out and targeting Indians.

An X user specifically lashed out at the community, claiming, “This is a habit of Indians… There are also videos of Indians online, in other countries, coaching fellow Indians to save cash by using food banks.”

Another user alleged, “They loot every service that the country operates using any sort of trust-based system. If you are supposed to be too ashamed to steal from the homeless and the poor, don’t worry, they are not. To them, it’s a lifehack….”

Another comment claimed “the entire queue is of Indian,” without any evidence, India Today reported.

Several others also jumped in with their opinions, probably without reading the complete report.

“Deport Indians. Stop universities from selling places to foreigners. And Irish people who need it can get the services they require,” a user blasted.

“Immigrants are natural thieves and will take money (or food) even if they have plenty of their own,” an X account named Cerfoona mentioned.

Have Indians been targeted in Ireland before?

The online backlash comes amid a series of violent incidents targeting Indians in the country last year.

In one case, a 40-year-old Indian man , an Amazon employee who had arrived just weeks earlier, was severely assaulted by a group of teenagers in Tallaght, Dublin. He was beaten, stabbed in the face, and partially stripped, with authorities investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, reported India Today.

In another incident, 32-year-old Indian-origin resident Santosh Yadav sustained a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries after being attacked by six teenagers near his apartment in Dublin in July last year, according to the media outlet.

Last month, the Embassy of India in Ireland advised Indian nationals to exercise caution for their personal safety and to avoid isolated areas, particularly late at night.

“There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,” the Indian Embassy in Ireland posted on X.

How many Indian students are in Ireland?

The Times of India (TOI) reported that Ireland is becoming a preferred pick for Indian students; the nation witnessed a record 13,000 Indian students on its campuses last year.

Irish minister Jack Chambers highlighted that Indian students are among the fastest-growing international student groups in Ireland, attracted to programs in technology, business, health sciences, and other fields.

He emphasised that the two countries’ ties are strengthening, with academic collaborations, joint research, and student exchange programs expected to grow further. These initiatives, he added, help prepare young professionals for a global workforce and foster long-term people-to-people connections, the report noted.

With inputs from agencies