A new report urges that it be made compulsory for An Garda Síochána to compile and distribute data concerning its treatment of ethnic minority groups within Ireland. The lack of available statistical data, according to the shared report from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Irish Network Against Racism, allows the law enforcement body to deny engagement in racial profiling.
Such a lack of transparency, according to the report on Policing and Racial Discrimination in Ireland, conflicts with findings from research carried out by ICCL and INAR, along with several other active organisations in the field. Notably, outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar declared that racial profiling was likely taking place in Ireland in the previous year.
To counter this, recommendations were made in last year’s National Plan Against Racism to eradicate the practice of policing that deliberately targets specific racial and ethnic communities before the end of the following year. The report cites examples such as evidence of racial profiling during stop and search procedures administered by the Gardaí, biased border checks throughout cross-border travel within Ireland and Northern Ireland, and proof of travellers and members of the Roma community being singled out for racial profiling. The unauthorised removal of Roma children from their homes in 2013, on the grounds of ethnic profiling, was pointed out as a well-known instance.
The study strongly encourages that An Garda Síochána should be ordered to produce data detailing its actions based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and disability spanning the Irish criminal justice system without delay.
The study relied on 36 ethnic minority individuals residing in Ireland, who took part in various workshops. 83% expressed fear of racial profiling or discrimination by the Gardaí, while 31% particularly mentioned concerns about being black and the assumption that black individuals can’t be of Irish origin. Participants also communicated a noticeable lack of trust between ethnic minority communities and An Garda Síochána.
When asked if they thought the Gardaí treated racialised group members equally to the broader white, settled Irish populace, an overwhelming majority in all workshops indicated they experienced varying treatment.
Director of INAR, Shane O’Curry, emphasised the findings of a report that indicate inconsistencies and inadequacies in both policy and practice application. This, he says, reflects poorly on communities, often those already feeling marginalised. He underscored the need to foster a society wherein minorities have complete trust in An Garda Síochána, claiming that such is in everyone’s best interest.
Furthermore, ICCL’s executive director, Liam Herrick, mentioned the pressing necessity for An Garda Síochána to enhance their connections, interactions, and the minority communities’ impressions of them. Achieving this, Herrick believes, requires an improvement in An Garda Síochána’s diversity, expertise enhancement, and better policies and education on racial profiling in order to address unconscious bias and improve multicultural communication and understanding.
The report also suggests increasing diversity within the force to better represent the state’s diverse populace. Other recommendations include ongoing human rights and anti-racism training at Garda College, appointing additional ethnic liaison officers, and bolstering the resources and reach of the Garda National Diversity Unit.