Racial Profiling Persists Across the EU, Council Reports

The European Union’s human rights watchdog (ECRI) has cautioned that law enforcement agencies throughout Europe are still practicing racial profiling.

The ECRI reported on Wednesday that this practice continues to occur, where authorities make decisions based on ethnicity, skin color, religious beliefs, or nationality instead of relying on factual information. This issue is evident in both police stops and searches as well as at border checkpoints.

“Bertil Cottier, who chairs the European Commission against Racism and Int intolerance (ECRI), told Euronews that our observation indicates none of the member states within the Council of Europe can be considered entirely protected from racial profiling,” he stated.

Concerns over new technologies

Specialists have expressed worries over the police departments’ intentions to widely implement facial recognition systems. They argue that proper protections must be established beforehand.

Even though the stringent European framework detailed in the Artificial Intelligence Act went into effect in August 2024, implementation differs among various member states.

For instance, French law enforcement has been consistently utilizing facial recognition technology.
for numerous years, and on the streets
Belgium is considering the systematic introduction of
The contentious technology used for “monitoring convicted and alleged perpetrators.”

The Council of Europe highlighted studies suggesting that this technology could potentially lead to incorrect identification of people.

We are concerned about this development. Whenever new technologies emerge, they invariably pose challenges related to discrimination,” stated Cottier. “Our worry is that misuse of these advancements could exacerbate the issue.

Therefore, the ECRI monitors developing technologies.

The Council of Europe has approved a framework convention regarding artificial intelligence and human rights.

Cottier mentioned that one committee within the Council of Europe is addressing anti-discrimination concerns and is in the process of formulating a particular recommendation focused on AI and discrimination.

The Council of Europe states that countries are not addressing police racial profiling effectively.

The ECRI report does not mention particular instances from individual nations.

Previously, though, the organization released reports specific to individual countries.

In France, for example,
the ECRI has consistently advised
that officials implement an efficient method for documenting identity verifications conducted by police officers.

In the previous year, the Council of Europe hosted a round table involving French authorities, law enforcement agencies, and non-governmental organizations to address the recommendation through discussion.

“C France is among the countries where racial profiling is an issue,” stated Cottier.

“However, as we observed a few months back with disappointment, our suggestion for addressing racial profiling – specifically tracking down the law enforcement officers who unjustifiably detained individuals – has thus far been disregarded,” Cottier noted.

In 2023, France’s top administrative court determined that the government was not effectively addressing the extensively reported issue of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.

Non-governmental organizations have cautioned that this practice
harm the connection between law enforcement and citizens
So even the ECRI stated in their report that “racial profiling creates a sense of humiliation and injustice within society.”

“The actions endanger the efforts of law enforcement officers who adhere to legal guidelines and ethical policing standards, as well as those dedicated to fighting racism and racial discrimination,” stated the ECRI experts.

The Italian government responds strongly to the study.

Concern also exists regarding Italy.

“While visiting Italy, we observed instances of racial profiling among law enforcement agencies. We advised the Italian government to address this matter with urgency,” Cottier pointed out.

At here, racial profiling conducted by law enforcement particularly affects the Roma community and individuals of African descent.

An
October 2024 report
encouraged Italy to conduct an autonomous investigation aimed at evaluating the extent of racial profiling within its law enforcement agencies.

Nevertheless, the Italian government countered it.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stood up for the “people who, daily, dedicate themselves and make sacrifices to guarantee the security of all citizens, irrespective of their differences.”

In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the ECRI as “an ineffective entity.”

Cottier feels remorse about this reaction. “It seemed as though we criticized Italy and the Italian law enforcement for practicing racial profiling when we actually only requested the Italian government to evaluate the issue,” he explained.

The ECRI chairman admitted that it continues to be a sensitive topic. He stated, “We do not aim to oppose the police. We understand their necessity and wish to have faith in them. This is precisely what makes it challenging at times to alert governments about this matter,” as Cottier pointed out.