No, Irish police did not travel to Pakistan to recruit police officers

Context

A video has been circulating widely on social media platforms such as TikTok (video archived here) and X (archived posts here and here), claiming that Ireland's national police force traveled to Pakistan to recruit Muslim police officers. It also states that these recruitment efforts were advertised on Pakistani national television.

This claim comes at a time when anti-Muslim and Islamophobic sentiments have been rising in Ireland. For example, in 2024, the suburb of Coolock in Dublin became the epicenter of anti-immigration protests driven by misinformation and fears about the housing of asylum seekers. Protesters in Coolock, fueled by narratives of "unvetted migrant men" being placed in their community, took to blocking roads and setting up camps to prevent the arrival of these asylum seekers.

In fact

The video originates from a 2023 recruitment campaign focused on the Pakistani community already living in Ireland.

The Garda Síochána, often referred to simply as the Gardaí, is Ireland's national police force. In its efforts to diversify the force, it has encouraged members of minority communities in Ireland to apply for positions. However, no recruitment drive was conducted in Pakistan, and the video was not shared on national Pakistani television. The video has been shared on social media beyond the intended audience in Ireland, which could have contributed to the misunderstanding about the recruitment campaign's target.

Similar recruitment efforts were launched in 2022, focusing on increasing diversity within the Gardaí by encouraging applications from minority communities, including the Pakistani community in Ireland.

In recent years, the Gardaí have made significant efforts to engage with the Pakistani community in Ireland, particularly through targeted recruitment drives. The Gardaí's outreach to the Pakistani community, including women and younger generations, is part of a broader strategy to ensure that all groups feel represented and protected by the national police force.

To join the Gardaí, applicants must meet strict eligibility criteria, particularly concerning nationality and residency. Typically, applicants must be EU/EEA nationals, U.K. nationals, or have long-term residency in Ireland. Non-EU residents, such as those from Pakistan, generally need to have lived in Ireland for at least one year continuously and a total of four years within the previous eight years to be eligible.

The verdict

The claim that Ireland's national police force traveled to Pakistan to recruit Muslim police officers and advertised these efforts on Pakistani national television is false. The video circulating on social media is misleading and relates to a 2023 recruitment campaign that focused on the Pakistani community already residing in Ireland.