At least 88 families were officially recorded as homeless following race riots in Belfast on June 9th, according to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Volunteers say the actual number is much higher, with more than 500 people assisted in the weeks after.

The NIHE said 39 of the 88 families had been moved to temporary accommodation, but it had no information on how many of the remaining 49 returned to their previous addresses. Anaka Women’s Collective, a voluntary group supporting refugees and asylum seekers, said some families left Northern Ireland entirely, while others are still in emergency accommodation or staying with friends.

The riots began after a video of a knife attack in north Belfast the previous evening was shared online by British far-right influencer Tommy Robinson and billionaire Elon Musk. Groups of masked men then attacked homes belonging to immigrants in predominantly Protestant working-class areas of the city.

One Slovakian man, who asked to be identified only as Michael, said a brick came through his living room window and narrowly missed his three-year-old son. The family hid upstairs as rioters set fire to their front door and window. They escaped through the back door and found themselves among the mob.

A British-Kenyan single mother, identified as Ashley, said she and her 16-year-old daughter hid under a bed for over 40 minutes while bricks and bottles were thrown through their window. Graffiti reading “Muslims, get out of here” was spray-painted on the wall.

Police made 42 arrests by August 31st, with 33 people charged. Critics say the response was inadequate. They claim officers were slow to intervene and that there was no coordinated state effort to evacuate families in danger. Volunteers from Anaka and other organisations used their own cars to rescue people and set up a safe house in a church.

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive denied that it failed to respond, saying teams were on the ground helping those affected. The NIHE said it considers concerns about safety when offering housing.

Race-motivated hate incidents reached a record high in June, with 512 incidents recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), including 317 crimes. This was the highest monthly total since records began in 2004.

Immigration has risen in Northern Ireland, with people born outside the UK and Ireland making up about 6.5% of the population. Many rent in traditionally Protestant working-class areas where housing is cheaper. Some academics say paramilitary groups helped coordinate the violence.

Some affected families are now considering moving to nationalist areas, believing they are safer. One woman said she would stay in Belfast but described the situation as getting worse each year.