Rising violence against migrant delivery riders in Dublin prompts calls for Garda bike theft unit

A series of violent encounters between Dublin youths and food-delivery couriers has intensified scrutiny of the city’s gig-economy workforce. Footage captured on September 20, 16 and 15 shows riders being assaulted, including a stabbing in Darndale/Clare Hall and a viral video of a rider kicking a fleeing child. Anti-immigration accounts have edited the clips to portray foreign riders as aggressors, fueling online hate.

Most couriers are migrants working as self-employed contractors for platforms like Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, often without proper legal status. Union representative Fiachra Ó Luain, co-founder of the English Language Students’ Union of Ireland, called on An Garda Síochána to set up a dedicated bike-theft unit, stressing that many riders depend on their bicycles for income. Riders interviewed described ongoing harassment, broken helmets and egg attacks, while recalling past fatalities - the 2020 death of Thiago Cortes and the 2021 killing of Josh Dunne - that underline the long-standing danger. The growing tension highlights broader concerns about structural violence in the gig-economy model.