Thugs involved in violence across Northern Ireland are destroying their own communities, the deputy First Minister has said.
On a visit to Causeway Hospital, Emma Little-Pengelly and DUP MP Gregory Campbell said they wanted to send a “strong message against racism”.
Also speaking at the hospital, Dr Ramamoorthy Nambi said the scenes in Belfast in recent days were “very shocking”.
He pointed out that more than half of the medical staff at Causeway Hospital are from “overseas, mainly from Asia and the Middle East”.
During the visit Ms Little-Pengelly and Mr Campbell met with members of staff who have come from other countries to work in the NHS and make Northern Ireland their home.
The deputy First Minister said: “Violence is unacceptable. Disorder is unacceptable and that’s the clear message our local representatives have been sending.
“We’re here today to send that very clear message as well, by our presence, to say we’re fully supportive of those incredible people right throughout the community and from all the places across this globe, coming here to Northern Ireland and providing really good services to people here.
“We’re sending a message of no to racism and no to violence on the streets.”
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She said those engaged in violence are “causing destruction to their own communities”.
Both Ms Little-Pengelly and Mr Campbell stressed what they believe to be “legitimate concerns in communities”, but added that some people are trying to “manipulate those concerns” and “drive that towards disorder and racism”.
The deputy First Minister said the DUP knows people are “suffering” and struggling to get housing and they “hear those concerns”.
Mr Campbell wanted to make a distinction between people who come “legally, pay their taxes and raise their families” and those who come illegally.
He said that without overseas workers the service would “collapse” and those out “protesting” would “suffer, like everyone else”.
Asked about the DUP’s policy on immigration, Mr Campbell again wanted to distinguish between issues, saying Prime Minister Keir Starmer has to take “responsibility around boats coming in”, and it is “separate from people being attacked who are here legally” and who “we depend on for many jobs”.
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The East Londonderry MP added: “The issue of immigration is one that will have to be dealt with by the government and we in Parliament will be asking the government and pressing them to act on that problem.
“Let us be sure that we don’t intertwine these two issues to the extent that concern about an open-door immigration policy becomes described as racist and results in attacks on the people that we’ve seen the last few days.
“They are two distinct, separate issues and the government must act on one of them and we will certainly put pressure on them to act on the issue of open-door immigration.”
Responding to plans for what is framed as a “Protect Our Children” protest on Friday evening in Derry, Mr Campbell said there has been “pressure to de-escalate given the weekend that’s in it with a major Apprentice Boys parade being held”.
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He hopes people will respect that and respond to “appeals for calm”.
Meanwhile, Dr Nambi spoke of the impact on health staff.
He said he has personally experienced racism, both in England and here, adding “it happens all the time”, but “physical abuse is very unusual”.
He believes the violence should be called out as “pure racist abuse” and not “anti-immigration” in nature.
Dr Nambi pointed to health workers in Antrim being forced to leave their homes, and asked racist thugs to think about who is going to staff hospitals here.
Other health professionals, he said, have considered leaving because they all have families and “if your family is not safe then what’s the point of living here”.
He added: “A lot of colleagues in Belfast and Antrim have said they’ve been made feel unsafe and if this continues they are going to think about leaving.”