A poignant open letter by an Indian nurse in Ireland, originally shared on Reddit, has gone viral, stirring widespread reflection and concern over the treatment of migrant healthcare workers in the country. The letter, titled “Why We’re Leaving Ireland”, captures the disillusionment felt by many Indian professionals who once saw Ireland as a land of opportunity — but now fear for their families’ safety.
The anonymous author, speaking on behalf of himself, his wife, and their wider Indian community, writes with raw emotion about the growing racism and hostility they are facing. “We came to Ireland to save lives, and now we’re scared to walk home after a shift,” he laments. The final straw, he reveals, was witnessing a group of Irish teenagers bullying an 8-year-old Indian girl “just because she looked different.”
The nurse, like thousands of his compatriots, arrived in Ireland to serve in the country’s vital healthcare system. Many of these professionals worked through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, often under high stress and personal sacrifice. “We missed weddings and funerals back home to stay here and work. We followed every law, paid every tax… We believed this was a country of kindness.”
But that belief, he says, is fading.
According to the nurse, dozens of Indian nurses in his circle are actively seeking to leave Ireland, with some applying to Australia or planning a return to India. “If we leave, it’s not because we don’t love this country. It’s because this country stopped loving us back.”
Recent attacks raise alarm
The letter comes on the heels of several reported racially motivated attacks on Indians and other South Asian immigrants in Ireland. Over the past few months, local media and community groups have documented instances of verbal abuse, physical altercations, and discriminatory behavior — both on the streets and in public institutions.
In June, an Indian student was assaulted in Dublin in what advocacy groups described as a racially motivated attack. In July, a viral video showed another Indian man being chased by a group of youth while local bystanders failed to intervene.
Such incidents, though still not widespread according to authorities, are being increasingly documented by the Indian diaspora — especially on platforms like Reddit, where anonymous posts have become a window into the fears and frustrations of immigrant life in Europe.
Calls for action
The viral post has triggered hundreds of comments from users across Ireland and beyond. While many Irish citizens expressed solidarity and condemned the rise in xenophobia, others called on the Irish government to address the growing sense of insecurity among migrant communities.
Healthcare unions and civil rights organisations are now urging the government to take stronger steps to ensure the safety and dignity of frontline immigrant workers.
As the anonymous nurse wrote in his closing lines: “We are not here to divide. We are here because we believed Ireland was a place where all people had value. Please prove us right.”
