Violent political extremism is on the rise in Ireland, Irish police have warned after anti-migrant riots and arson attacks on asylum centers. Ireland is struggling to come to terms with its transformation from a country of emigration to immigration amid a chronic housing crisis and concerns over the strain on public services. Security and Intelligence is cognizant that there is a rise in violent political extremism in Ireland and across Europe.

Far-Right figures used social media to pinpoint sites and urge locals to take action against them, forcing police to patrol the sites. The incidents have been echoed in Britain and Northern Ireland. There were riots across the UK after the Southport stabbings last year across the UK and there was a week of anti-migrant disorder and violence in Ballymena, Northern Ireland earlier this year.

On Sunday, hundreds of protestors gathered near an asylum hotel in the Isle of Dogs after one of its guests was arrested on suspicion of assault, and hundreds more demonstrated against the use of hotels for asylum seekers, in Dudley. On Saturday, police were called after 700 people were involved in angry clashes between anti-racism campaigners and protestors outside a migrant hotel in Falkirk.

Ireland’s population grew by almost 90,000 last year, to 5,439,898 from 5,351,681 people, according to figures from EU agency Eurostat. The population growth was driven by migration and because Ireland is one of just six EU countries to record more births than deaths last year.

Conor McGregor, the former MMA champion, hopes to run on an anti-migrant platform.