Department responsible for housing asylum seekers will not publicly identify staff following threats

The government department responsible for housing asylum seekers says it will no longer publicly identify its staff after one had their personal information shared online while others were threatened with violence.

The Department of Children and Equality said there was a “tangible risk” for staff as they grappled with incidents involving arson attacks, threats to staff and facilities, animal cruelty incidents and widespread intimidation.

Under normal circumstances, public bodies are obliged to provide the names of staff members when publishing documents or releasing them in response to Freedom of Information requests.

However, the department said it had become too dangerous in a “turbulent environment” for people working in international protection and integration.

They said the threat of violence against their employees from far-right extremists was very real and that the decision to withhold staff names was “not taken lightly.”

The department said the release of any…

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