Black children in Ireland at greatest risk of racist abuse, report finds

Racism against black, African people in Ireland is among the worst in Europe and is increasing, an EU report published on Wednesday finds.

The report, from the Vienna-based Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), finds more than half of people of African descent (55 per cent) “experienced racial discrimination” here in the five years to 2022 – an increase since 2016 (48 per cent) and the third highest among 13 member states.

It found black children in Ireland faced the highest levels of bullying, racist comments and physical attacks across the member states surveyed, while black Africans here faced greater discrimination in housing and employment than in most other states.

Titled Being Black in Europe, it is the second report from the FRA on the experience of people born in Africa or second-generation Africans in Europe. It draws on interviews with 6,752 people across Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland. Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden in September and October last year.

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[ The racism that has always lurked within the Irish has been exposed ]

Despite binding anti-discrimination law in the EU since 2000 and significant policy developments since, people of African descent continue to face racism, discrimination and hate crime, it says. Ethnic profiling is also common, especially for young people.

There were 524 respondents In Ireland. The median age was 35 and 52 per cent were women. Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) were Irish citizens and had been in Ireland for 14 years on average. Some 82 per cent were Christian and 12 per cent Muslim.

Fear of being a victim of a racist attack was almost twice as high (64 per cent) among black people in Ireland than in other EU states (35 per cent).

In education, 24 per cent experienced racial discrimination in education, compared with 18 per cent across the 13 member states, while 39 per cent of black African parents said children experienced “offensive or threatening comments at school” in the year before the survey, compared with 23 per cent in the other states.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of black, African parents said their children had been physically attacked, compared with 8 per cent in the EU13. “These are the highest rates among the countries surveyed,” says the report.

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In employment, 41 per cent “experienced racial discrimination when looking for a job” and 42 per cent at work, compared with 34 per cent and 31 per cent respectively across the 13 surveyed states.

In housing, 43 per cent “experienced racial discrimination” when looking for a place to live, compared with 31 per cent across other state. Some 41 per cent of people of African descent lived in overcrowded housing compared to 4 per cent of Irish people generally, while just 10 per cent of people of African descent in Ireland own a property, compared to 70 per cent of the general population.

Michael O’Flaherty, FRA director, said it was “shocking” to see no improvement since its last survey in 2016.

“Instead, people of African descent face ever more discrimination just because of the colour of their skin. Racism and discrimination should have no place in our societies. The EU and its member states should use these findings to better target their efforts and ensure people of African descent too can enjoy their rights freely without racism and discrimination.”

The FRA provides independent data and advice to EU institutions and national governments on fundamental rights, particularly discrimination, access to justice, racism and xenophobia, data protection, and victims’ and children’s rights.