Xenophobia
Viral Irish food bank image triggers racist remarks against Indians
A wave of racist comments, targeting Indians, surfaced on social media following the publication of a photograph showing a queue outside a food bank in Ireland, media reports said.
The image, published by The Irish Times, highlighted rising demand at a student-run food pantry at the University of Galway.
According to the report, the Spéir student pantry — originally launched as an environmental initiative — has been forced to turn away hundreds of students each week due to overwhelming demand.
The food bank distributed nearly €500,000 worth of food last year as the cost-of-living crisis in Ireland deepened.
However, the story triggered a flood of xenophobic reactions online, with several comments targeting Indian and other international students.
The remarks reflected growing concerns about racism and anti-immigrant sentiment faced by sections of the Indian community in Ireland.
Pointing out the Indian-origin students, one X user said: " Am I the only one seeing a pattern?"
Another said: " How can foreign students afford flights, fees, accommodation but not food. Or is it the promise of something free attracts all in search of free regardless of necessity."
A netizen said: "You can't have food banks in a society that includes Indians and other third worlders. Where we see food that should only be taken if we literally had none, they see free food."
An X user wrote: "This is the queue for the University of Galway students’ union food pantry, where genuinely needy students can get some basics. The entire queue, as far as I can tell, is Indian. This erosion of social trust will eventually destroy the program."
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