Racial abuse of workers should not be tolerated : INMO

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said that racial abuse of workers should not be tolerated.

Indian citizens have been warned that they face an increased risk of being attacked in Ireland following a number of violent incidents.

Over 35,429 nurses and midwives registered with the NMBI in 2024 were educated outside Ireland

INMO urged that it is time for society to collectively reject racism and not allow hate speech and violent attacks to become commonplace.

"The fact that Ireland is in a situation where foreign embassies have to issue travel warnings should be taken seriously. This is not the image of the country we want," Matthews said.

INMO Deputy General Secretary Edward Mathews said, 

The full text of his statement 

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said that racially motivated abuse of workers should not be tolerated.

In 2024, Over 35,429 nurses and midwives registered with the NMBI were educated outside of Ireland. INMO Deputy General Secretary Edward Mathews said.

Nearly 35,500 nurses and midwives have come here to work from other parts of the world and provide essential services. Just as importantly, they and their families are rooted in our communities. They should not be afraid to go to and from their workplaces or anywhere else in their communities because of the disgraceful actions of some.

Recent horrific attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland should be condemned. There must be a robust policing response to racially motivated abuse and attacks. We do not want Ireland to be a place where nurses and midwives are afraid to work.

Providing more robust protections would go a long way to making internationally educated nurses and midwives feel safe. Everyone should have the right to work in an environment free from abuse or harassment of any kind, and to feel safe in their community.

In broader terms, as a society, it has never been more important to reject racism. Hateful rhetoric and violent attacks must not become the norm. It is unacceptable that consular services in Ireland feel the need to issue advisories about travel and personal security at unsocial hours. This should raise alarm bells, this is not the type of country we want to be.