Leaders of the five largest parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly issued a joint statement on Tuesday condemning a violent attack in north Belfast and appealing for public calm. A Sudanese national has been charged in connection with the incident, which occurred on Monday.

The statement followed unrest on Tuesday night. Authorities reported that republican areas of the city were not drawn into the violence, despite the attack taking place in a republican neighbourhood.

The political response is set against the backdrop of Westminster’s full control over immigration powers. No aspect of immigration policy is devolved to Stormont, from border security and visa rules to asylum accommodation and enforcement. Crimes linked to foreign gangs are policed by UK-wide agencies rather than the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Under the Belfast Agreement and the Windsor Framework, Stormont cannot treat lawful residents differently from British or Irish citizens when it comes to benefits and social housing. Asylum seekers granted refugee status, and visa holders granted indefinite leave to remain, become entitled to the same support as citizens.

Housing pressures have increased since the Home Office adopted a new asylum accommodation policy in 2024. The private contractor Mears has moved asylum seekers out of hotels and into rented housing, offering landlords terms that few private tenants can match. Meanwhile, houses in multiple occupation for migrant workers have become a profitable sector, pushing up house prices and reducing the number of family homes.

The Democratic Unionist Party, which controls housing and social housing portfolios at Stormont, has repeatedly raised asylum policy with the Home Office and Mears but says it is told the matter is none of its business. Most parties have backed planning restrictions on new houses in multiple occupation, with Sinn Féin actively supporting such moves in north and west Belfast.

Hours before Monday’s attack, the Irish Republican Socialist Party issued a statement in west Belfast claiming that residents who raise concerns about housing, public services and demographic change are being unfairly labelled as far right. The statement was noted by larger parties as a reflection of local sentiment.

Racist rioting broke out in mainly unionist areas in 2024, following the murder of three children in England. After that violence, Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance accused the DUP of dangerous anti-immigration rhetoric, while the DUP maintained it was voicing legitimate concerns and that letting frustration build would be more dangerous.