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.
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“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.”
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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.