The foreign-born population in Ballymena is higher, in line with the UK average of 16 per cent, and includes a relatively large Filipino community.

The legacy of Northern Ireland's watchtowers, helicopters and informants can be seen in recent tensions and unrest around immigration ...

He now lives in Ballymena with his partner and works as a mechanic, working on coaches – one of the 4,000 or so Filipinos in Northern Ireland’s 1.9 million population.

With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O’Neill said she did not believe it would be helpful for her to visit in the current context.