A group of Romanian families received shelter in a Belfast church Tuesday after a series of attacks and said they want to leave Northern Ireland.

The families, more than 100 people, first tried turning one house into a safe zone after their homes in South Belfast were attacked, the BBC reported. Police escorted them to the City Church Tuesday.

Officials said the Romanians had been subjected to verbal harassment and physical assaults, which had become more frequent.

"They are really very frightened," Anna Lo, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said. "You know, when they were talking to me yesterday, they were really upset, tears in their eyes and said, 'You know we love it here, we'd like to live here, but we're too scared.' A woman showed me her shoulder which was quite bruised and cut across, she was hit across the shoulder."

Northern Ireland has been rocked for decades by violence between Catholic nationalists and Protestant loyalists. But Robert Murdie, a senior police officer, said there is no evidence the violence aimed at the Romanians is orchestrated by a group, and loyalists leaders deny any involvement, the BBC said.