New EU Fundamental Rights Report

Electoral manipulation, violence against women, online hate: Testing times for fundamental rights in 2025

Threats to democracy, stark levels of violence against women and rights abuses at the EU’s borders. These are some of the key challenges detailed in FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2025. The report provides telling evidence of fundamental rights under threat across Europe, a wake-up call for Member States and EU Institutions. With 2025 proving to be even more challenging, they must prevent the erosion of rights and stop democratic backsliding.

The Fundamental Rights Report 2025 focuses on key fundamental rights developments and gaps in the EU in 2024. These include:

Threats to democracy: disinformation and misinformation, the growing use of AI and harmful rhetoric threatened free and fair elections across the EU.

Widespread violence against women: 1 in 3 women in the EU still experiences gender-based violence.

Pervasive discrimination, racism and rising hate online: Muslims, Jews, Black people and LGBTIQ people face increasing levels of discrimination, hate and racism. Harassment, hate speech and physical violence are a growing concern.

Ill treatment of migrants: the EU issued new migration and asylum rules. Reports of rights violations along EU borders continued in 2024 and over 3,500 people died or went missing at sea.

New digital regulations: the EU’s efforts to regulate online platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) are an important step for the protection of fundamental rights. The Digital Services Act and the AI Act are key measures to curb illegal and harmful online content, disinformation, and the impact of discriminatory algorithms, but strong and consistent enforcement will be essential to ensure that technology respects human rights.

To overcome these challenges, FRA has called on the EU and its Member States to:

  • Ensure fair, transparent and safe elections: provide sufficient resources to implement and enforce EU laws to guard against electoral manipulation online. Effectively tackle threats of violence and intimidation during elections.
  • Protect women from violence: enhance support to victims by improving reporting channels and enable women to come forward. Train frontline staff like the police and doctors in providing victim-appropriate services. Tackle the rise of cyberviolence by properly enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Directive on Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.
  • Tackle all forms of racism: act to tackle rising racism, antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred. Collect data to feed into EU and national anti-racism laws and policies. Provide a safer online space for all and act against online hate.
  • Strengthen fundamental rights safeguards at borders: improve search and rescue practices to save lives at sea. Provide safer conditions for processing new arrivals. Investigate reports of rights violations and establish independent monitoring mechanisms at the EU’s external borders.
  • Reinforce rights protection online: assess and monitor the impact of AI on fundamental rights. Improve awareness of potential AI biases. Enforce the new EU digital regulations to counter rising disinformation and online hate.
EU flag

You can read the full report by FRA here: Fundamental Rights Report 2025

We were pleased to provide the Ireland country report again this year for this important EU-wide update.

Ireland flag

You can read our report here: Fundamental Rights Report Ireland 2025

Policing experiences feel unsafe for Brazilians and People of African Descent

A new landmark research study by the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) and published today by the Policing Authority reveals that people of African descent and Brazilians in Ireland report widespread discriminatory policing, racial profiling, and a deep lack of trust in An Garda Síochána.

A new landmark research study by the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) with Lucy Michael Research Training and Consultancy, commissioned by the Policing Authority, reveals that people of African descent and Brazilians in Ireland report widespread discriminatory policing, racial profiling, and a deep lack of trust in An Garda Síochána.

The study presents the most detailed evidence to date of the negative experiences of policing among these communities including accounts of traumatic stop-and-search incidents, including strip searches, wrongful arrests, and property damage, with long-lasting psychological effects and ongoing impacts on employment, study, and family life. The findings also note the prevalence of vexatious charges brought after traffic stops, particularly against Black drivers. 

Victim Reporting: The report highlights multiple instances where victims were mistreated at Garda stations, denied information, or retraumatised during police interactions — raising serious concerns about Ireland’s compliance with the EU Victims’ Rights Directive. Many participants reported a deep reluctance to report crimes, including hate crimes and repeat harassment, as a result. Migrants expressed concern about potential immigration consequences, and some described traumatic outcomes when they did seek help. Even community workers with long-standing Garda relationships expressed a loss of faith in the system, describing a growing sense of hopelessness about accountability. 

Domestic Violence: While some victims noted improvements in Garda responses to domestic violence, these were highly inconsistent. Others reported distressing experiences, including Gardaí arriving at scenes and treating victims with suspicion or hostility based on their ethnicity. Some survivors regretted calling Gardaí, saying it caused further trauma or endangered their legal status.

Public Order Policing: The report reveals frequent and traumatising public order encounters, especially among younger men, including strip searches, wrongful arrests, and unnecessary escalation of minor incidents. These encounters were often described as racially motivated, leaving long-lasting psychological impacts and causing people to avoid public spaces or interaction with Gardaí entirely.

Both in cases of domestic violence and stops in public, Afro-Brazilians’ experiences more closely resembled those of African and African-Irish participants than White Brazilians’. 

The Garda Síochána are viewed, overall, as providing a diminished service to minority ethnic communities and actively harming them through discriminatory policing. This perception is particularly strong among younger individuals and those who have lived in Ireland for a longer period. Positive personal interactions with individual Gardaí through community policing has only partly led to increased confidence among African and Brazilian groups. Both groups expressed concern too about the effectiveness of Garda Síochána Ombudsman’s Commission (GSOC). 

The survey results showed

  • 66% say Gardaí do not treat everyone fairly.
  • Over half of respondents said Gardaí treat people from their ethnic background more strictly than others.
  • Only 19% believed they would be treated fairly if they made a complaint against Gardaí.

The report findings raise questions about the extent to which the regulatory and oversight framework provided for in the Policing, Security and Community Safety (PSCS) Act 2024 will be fit for purpose in respect of reducing racial discrimination. This will be a question for the new bodies, the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) and Fiosrú Office of the Police Ombudsman.

Download the Key Findings poster

“What this research makes painfully clear is that for many Brazilians and people of African descent, encounters with the Gardaí are highly unpredictable in their outcomes and, despite some positive interactions, overall, there is no sense of safety for many people,” said Dr. Lucy Michael, co-author of the report. “The lack of consistency and accountability is not just failing these communities through overpolicing and underprotection — it’s actively alienating them.”

Addressing these challenges requires policy changes, enhanced training, and sustained community engagement. The report urges a systemic response to the findings, including a legal and structural shift in how minority communities are policed in Ireland. Key concerns for further investigation include the rapid escalation of minor offences to arrest and detention, inadequate communication of rights, and evidence of mistreatment, including racial abuse leading to distrust and trauma. 

“Every contact between the Garda Síochána and communities leaves a trace.” said Shane OCurry, Director of INAR. “Every negative contact risks damaging the relationship between the Garda Síochána and entire communities, to everyone’s detriment. This is why we need more effective oversight and accountability structures to ensure that such instances never occur. Communities need to see oversight structures working, and to have the confidence that complaints of improper conduct are taken seriously and investigated rigorously and impartially.”

Download the recommendations poster

The recommendations call for:

  • A legal ban on racial profiling with practice guidance, reviews of current operations, and recording processes. 
  • Improved oversight of racial discrimination complaints, including published numbers of complaints, and more robust investigation where discrimination is alleged.
  • Regulation against use of vexatious charges.
  • Mandatory anti-racism training for all Gardaí.
  • A legislative framework for the collection and publication of disaggregated ethnic data across the criminal justice system.
  • Intercultural partnerships in each division to address outreach, trust building, dialogue, and reviews of policy and practice. 

Protecting the rights of victims of online fraud

New research in Ireland for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency

With the increased shift of everyday activities to the online environment, more and more individuals fall victim to crimes committed online.

Online fraudsters target millions of victims across the EU every day, generating multiple billions in illicit profits every year , and the impact of these crimes is significant and increasing. Victims of online fraud are often revictimized. (Europol, Online fraud schemes: a web of deceit)

HOw are the rights of victims of online fraud in Ireland proected? New research for : FRA Logo.  
white postit and paperclip on yellow cream and pink background. 
Text below reads: If you have reported online fraud to Gardai, a bank, or 
any other organization, we'd like to hear from you

More than half (56%) of people answering a European Commission survey in 2019 had experienced at least one type of fraud or scam.

The impact of crime committed online can be significant for its victims. It can cause serious economic and reputational damage and can have a negative financial and emotional impact on individuals. A recent report shows that people fear being “hacked for fraud/spying purposes” more than attacks to their personal safety” (IPSOS, 2019).

The reporting rate remains low, and victims very often are too ashamed to report this type of crime. Additionally, victims of online fraud very often need to perform several actions in order to protect themselves from the further consequences of experiencing fraud. For example, they need to change their email addresses or passwords, report their payment cards, call the banks to try to stop the transfer etc. In other words, they need to perform several steps in order to possibly recover their money and safeguard themselves against repeat victimisation. These steps can be complex and challenging.

Victims of online financial fraud are covered by the EU legislation concerning the support and protection of victims, including the EU Victims Rights Directive  and the Directive on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment . Victims of online fraud should receive appropriate information, adequate support, and protection, and can participate in criminal proceedings. Victims of fraud should have sufficient access to information including advice on how to protect themselves against the future negative consequences of the offences (such as for example identity theft as a consequence of online fraud). EU Member States are also obliged to take preventative action against online fraud.

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the right to property (Article 17), and victims are guaranteed the right to effective remedy (Article 47). Article 38 also provides for a high level of consumer protection.

EU Member States must ensure that property rights are sufficiently protected by law in their countries, and that adequate remedies are provided for victims of property crime. Authorities are obliged to conduct effective criminal investigation and, if appropriate, prosecution.

This project will focus on access to justice for victims of online fraud understood as crimes against property involving non-cash means of payment, committed online with the use of a computer, smartphone or other device connected to the internet, by means of deception (or false representation). Some examples of online fraud crimes included are:

  • Investments fraud
  • Consumer fraud
  • Rental fraud
  • Inheritance fraud
  • Extortion

As part of the Europe-wide FRANET research team, we will analyse national legislation in Ireland and practice on victims’ rights from the angle of protection of rights of victims of online fraud understood as crimes against property, including in a cross-border context. We will speak with victims of online fraud, as well as financial institutions, online platforms and providers, data protection authorities, civil society, law enforcement authorities, cybersecurity bodies, and consumer protection authorities.

The EU-wide report will provide guidance to EU institutions, EU Agencies such as Europol and Eurojust, and Member States, in particular their law enforcement and justice authorities, about how to effectively ensure rights of victims of online fraud understood as crimes against property.

December newsletter

We hope December is a joyful month for you, full of friends and fun, as well as or despite the serious work to be done.  

If you enjoy our newsletter please forward it to someone else who might enjoy it too! We always welcome your feedback on how we can update you about our various activities in a convenient and timely way.
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Our current research

Political participation of persons with disabilities
The UN CRPD sets out political participation rights clearly in Article 29, but how available are they in practice?We are currently undertaking desktop research for FRA on access to political participation in Ireland – expect the report out next year.

Policing experiences of Brazilians and People of African Descent in Ireland
We are currently finishing up our work with INAR on the independent research commissioned by the Policing Authority for submission in early 2024. Grateful thanks to all who facilitated and supported the research on this sensitive topic, and especially to our participants.


Recently completed research

Black and Black-Irish artists access to funding and opportunities

We recently completed this report for the Arts Council, including interviews with artists and arts organisations, and we look forward to publication early in the new year.

Child Protection in the EU

We just finished working with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency to update its 2016 mapping of child protection systems in the EU.  This is part of its work in Integrated Child Protection Systems. We look forward to sharing the relaunched map in 2024.


Recently published research

Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO) Coalition Consultation Report

This Consultation Report presents the views and experiences of disabled people in Ireland based on 672 surveys and 8 focus groups. It was created in advance of the Irish Government presenting to the United Nations Committee on the Government’s work to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) to offer an alternative report on the realities faced by disabled people in Ireland today. Read it here

Equality Data and Arts Council Awards 2022

The Arts Council published our analysis of last year’s funding across gender, ethnicity and disability. Read it here.

Anti-Muslim Hatred Database Update

The database provides an overview of relevant international, European and national case law and decisions. It also provides findings of national human rights bodies related to anti-Muslim hatred incidents, such as violence, property offences, incitement to violence or hatred, other forms of hate speech, discrimination, harassment. In addition, it provides relevant research findings, including reports, studies and statistics on these issues, as well as information on victims’ support organisations providing support to victims of hate-motivated crime. See the Irish data here.

Fundamental Rights Report 2023

The Annual Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field in 2022, with particular attention this year to: Support for human rights systems and defenders; Asylum, migration and borders;Data protection, privacy and new technologies; Equality, non-discrimination and racism; Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation

Protecting civil society – Update 2023

Civil society organisations struggle to maintain an environment safe from threats and attacks. FRA’s sixth annual update on civic space explores the challenges for organisations across the EU.

The Russian aggression against Ukraine – Displaced children finding protection in the EU

More than 1.3 million children sought international protection in the EU. This bulletin explores the respect, protection and fulfilment of the fundamental rights of displaced children and ways to safeguard their rights.


This month we are thinking about…

We are still talking about Gaza


Keep raising your voices, keep sending your support and solidarity. For a list of upcoming events through December, see www.ipsc.ie/

After the Dublin riots

There have been important conversations happening since the events at Parnell Square – here’s our round-up of things to read and know….

The voices of minority ethnic and migrant communities are at risk of being lost in the debates that follow, says Teresa Buczkowska in the Journal.ie – Opinion: The riots were a scaled-up version of what we migrants face every day in Ireland
Sorcha Pollak talks to some migrants living in Dublin after the riots – Migrant community ‘stressed, afraid and traumatised’ after Dublin city riots

Hope and Courage Collective (formerly the Far-Right Observatory) have published a short guide for community leaders on how to respond after the riots – it’s a live document to provide you with ongoing support. Access it here

Facial Recognition Technology is not the solution

ICCL previously called for a ban on the police use of facial-recognition technology, arguing that it poses an “extreme risk to rights.” see Liam Herrick, ICCL in the Irish Times

ICCL currently have a petition open you can sign here


This month we are enjoying…

The new digital exhibition from Irish in Britain showing the diversity of our diaspora across the UK. It’s packed with fascinating accounts including the stories of LGBTQIA Irish abroad, Mixed Race Irish, and the work to support access to abortion for people in Ireland.


Project updates

We believe in transparency and accountability. As far as possible, we try to make sure that research participants are kept up to date on the progress of research and its later publication. Timelines can and do change regularly, especially where projects have to pass through the many stages to publication. Our new Project Updates webpage helps you track the latest news on each project.


New for 2024!

Supporting you when you need us

We are launching our new one-to-one advice and support service, helping you to tackle the issues you are facing when you need us! Book a single call or a priority support package valid for 12 months – more details here.

Supporting the Arts Council’s promotion of equality

We are delighted to have been involved in a number of projects with the Arts Council supporting the promotion of equality in the arts sector in Ireland and the implementation of policy changes to fulfil the organisation’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.

Strategic Evaluation

In 2022, we carried out an evaluation of the Arts Council’s first 3 year Equality, Human Rights and Diversity (EHRD) Policy and Strategy  with Navigo Consulting, including interviews with key staff across all areas of operations and focus groups with artists across all equality grounds.

The Arts Council has in August launched its new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Implementation Plan 2023–2028 , composed by the Arts Council’s Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion team, drawing on our evaluation and recommendations.

Analysis of Equality Data

In 2023, we conducted an analysis of the 2022 equality data gathered by the Arts Council from all awards scheme applicants. This was published in August.

Read the full report at Equality Data and Arts Council Awards 2022

The following differences are most pronounced, and these strongly reflect the patterns evident in the previous year.

The analysis in this report is based on diversity data submitted as part of applications made to the Arts Council and for Arts Council schemes managed by Create and Arts & Disability Ireland in the year 2022. The diversity of applications and awards are compared in terms of disability, ethnicity, gender, and where possible, geographic location. To understand the relative demographic representativeness of applicants and recipients, each of these metrics have been compared (where possible) to the population of Ireland Census 2022. This report presents a summary of key findings from that analysis.

  • There is a higher proportion of both applicants and recipients who identify as female compared to the general population.
  • Individuals who identify as having a disability are under-represented amongst applicants and recipients compared to the general population.
  • In respect of ethnicity, the rate of application and award is lowest among individuals who identify their ethnic background as Other or Mixed, Asian or Asian Irish, Black or Black Irish, or belonging to the Traveller Community.
  • Geographic spread was uneven, with Dublin was significantly over-represented in terms of proportion of applicants and recipients compared to the population. Cork, Galway, Wicklow, Clare and Sligo were also slightly over-represented in applications.

Arts funding in Ireland: exploring factors affecting grant awards to Black and Black-Irish artists.

In its 2021 Awards Data Report, the Arts Council published data which showed that Black or Black Irish artists made up 1.9% of applications, 1.5% of successful applications, 1.4% of unsuccessful applications, and 4.5% of applications deemed ineligible. The proportion of ineligible applications is higher than any other ethnic or racial group. We undertook research for the Arts Council of Ireland to understand why Black or Black-Irish artists were more likely to be deemed ineligible than other ethnic or racial groups amongst applicants to Arts Council funding.

We investigated a wide range of factors which might contribute to this high rate of ineligible applications. We reviewed a wide literature on barriers faced by minority artists, analysed available application data, and in March 2023, we invited Black and Black-Irish artists to take part in this research on a confidential basis regarding their experience of the application process. Participants in the research interview were compensated for their input by the Arts Council in line with its Paying the Artist policy.

The findings will inform a review of the application process to ensure that decision-making processes are based on best practice and applicants of all backgrounds are treated fairly. A summary report with recommendations which anonymises interview contributions has been shared with the Arts Council.

For more on the Arts Council’s work on equality, see https://www.artscouncil.ie/Equality-Diversity-Inclusion/

Queries about the above publications should be directed to the EDI Unit at www.artscouncil.ie

Child Protection in Ireland

We are currently undertaking research on behalf of the Fundamental Rights Agency (EU FRA) alongside researchers in all 27 member states on a thematic report mapping national child protection systems.

Our report on Ireland will be produced during spring 2023 and submitted to FRA for review and publication (date not yet confirmed).

FRA previously published a similar report on Child Protection Systems in the EU in 2015

https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2016/mapping-child-protection-systems-eu

2022 in review

HUGE THANKS to everyone who worked with us in 2022.

It’s been an incredibly busy year for us, and a very satisfying one!

We had 3 full-time team members, 2 part time, and 11 project staff, based in Dublin, Galway and Belfast.

  • Dr Lucy Michael – Director
  • Dr Niloufar Omidi – Senior Researcher (Human Rights Law)
  • Dan Reynolds – Researcher (Social Analysis)
  • Dr Ka Ka Tsang – Researcher
  • Dr Marta Kempny – Researcher (Social Analysis) (not in photo)
  • Megan Elliott – Executive Assistant

We are grateful for all our team members and partners and how they help us to further our work on equity, inclusion and justice.

The She Leads Fingal programme was designed and led with 5 prominent local leaders in Fingal. Ayo Yusuf, Geraldine Rooney and Catherine Joyce led the in-person delivery with Lucy.

The Belfast Inequalities research was conducted with a team of 8 peer researchers from the city.

  • Maria Teglas
  • Ezzaldin Thabet
  • Nattassa Latcham
  • Marty Pilkiewicz
  • Mary McDonagh
  • Salwa Al Sharabi
  • Eva Logan
  • Support: Denis Long and Pauline McGarry

The Belfast Inequalities programme was delivered in partnership with ACSONI and POLCA.

Our clients this year in Ireland, the UK and Europe included:

Arts Council of Ireland

Belfast City Council

Church of Ireland

Croí na Gaillimhe SVP Asylum Support Group

Fingal County Council

Galway City Partnership

European Network Against Racism

EU Fundamental Rights Agency

Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)

Irish Deaf Society

Irish Council of Churches

Irish Network Against Racism

Maynooth University

New Communities Partnership

Policing Authority

University of Galway

Capacity Building workshops with our Belfast research team

L to R: Ezzaldin, Mary, Marty, Eva, Marta, Salwa, Pauline, Csilla, Maria, Dan

We are currently undertaking research in partnership with ACSONI, POLCA and Belfast Intercultural Romanian Association on behalf of Belfast City Council to make recommendations to address ethnic inequalities across a variety of domains, including but not exclusive to: health, education, employment and civic and political participation.

The research and report will inform the city’s Community Planning document, the ‘Belfast Agenda’, which sets out a shared vision for the future of the city and seeks to improve the lives and wellbeing outcomes of all citizens in Belfast.

Interviewers have been hired from a range of ethnic, national and linguistic backgrounds who have strong connections in the stakeholder communities for this research. Each of the interviewers have been provided with training on ethics and interview methods, technique and data management. This has been supplemented by feedback and support throughout the data collection process.

Two additional capacity-building workshops funded by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust provide opportunities for training and collaboration on data analysis, giving the interviewers detailed insight into how data is interpreted and refined for presentation and the process of identifying and composing recommendations. They are supported to increase their contribution to the interpretation of data and composition of recommendations through this process.

L to R: Ezzaldin, Mary, Marta, Eva, Csilla, Salwa, Maria, Marty, Nattassa, Dan, standing in the hallway of Accidental Theatre Belfast, all smiling widely

New survey for the Church of Ireland on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice

A new survey seeks to gather the views of members of the Church of Ireland on ethnic diversity, inclusion and racial justice. The initiative of the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell, follows discussions with members and clergy and those serving in lay ministry from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds on the progress made within the Church on drawing on our rich diversity. 

At the Church of Ireland’s most recent General Synod in September 2021, the Archbishop said: “It was a little troubling to hear about how we had not drawn anything like deeply enough on the rich diversity of backgrounds in our Church. The meeting had also helped me to understand how difficult it can be to be a person of colour on this island and even, at times, in our Church.”

The research now being carried out has been designed in collaboration with the group of ethnically diverse clergy and lay readers who have now met on a further occasion, and will, along with other strands, examine and make recommendations on how the Church of Ireland can become truly a place of welcome for those from every ethnic background, both lay and clergy. 

Our team has worked with the Archbishop and working group since last year, considering the range of initiatives in this area undertaken previously and examining how to move forward on an all-island basis with the support of the wider Church membership. The Archbishop hopes to publish the results of the report and recommendations at the upcoming General Synod 2022.

2021 in review

HUGE THANKS to everyone who worked with us in 2021.

It’s been an incredibly busy year for us, and a very satisfying one! We added two full-time staff this year, and have employed a further 9 project staff. And we hope to continue to further our work on equity, inclusion and justice in 2022 with an expanded team!

Our clients this year in Ireland, the UK and Europe included:

  • International Organisation for Migration
  • Higher Education Authority
  • Department of Education
  • Maynooth University
  • Trinity College Dublin
  • NUI Galway
  • Irish Network Against Racism
  • Coalition of Disabled People’s Organisations
  • Irish Deaf Society
  • Irish Council of Civil Liberties and Irish Refugee Council
  • European Network Against Racism
  • EU Fundamental Rights Agency
  • Church of Ireland
  • New Communities Partnership
  • Belfast City Council
  • Fingal County Council
  • Irish Wheelchair Association