ECRI Sounds Alarm on Ongoing Racial Profiling by European Police

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 can be observed during stop-and-search operations as well as at border checkpoints.

"Bertil Cottier, who chairs the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), pointed out to Euronews that not even one member state of the Council of Europe can be considered entirely safe from racial profiling," he stated.

Concerns over new technologies

Specialists have voiced concerns over the police departments' intentions to widely implement facial recognition systems. They argue that proper protections must be established beforehand.

Even with the stringent guidelines of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, effective from August 2024, implementation differs among various member countries.

For instance, French law enforcement has consistently employed 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 offenders."

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

"We have concerns about this situation. Whenever new technologies arise, they often complicate matters related to discrimination," stated Cottier. "There’s a worry that misuse of these advancements could exacerbate the issue." This is why the ECRI closely 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 refer to instances in particular nations.

Previously, though, the organization has issued nation-specific reports.

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

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

"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 officials 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.

Non-governmental organizations have cautioned that this practice harms the connection between law enforcement and citizens So even the ECRI stated in their report that "racial profiling fosters a sense of humiliation and unfairness 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," according to statements made by the ECRI experts.

The Italian government responds to the study.

Another country of worry is Italy.

"While touring Italy, we observed instances of racial profiling among law enforcement agencies. We advised the Italian government to address this matter with due seriousness," 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 to evaluate the extent of racial profiling within its law enforcement agencies.

Nevertheless, the Italian government countered it.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supported "the men and women who, daily, dedicate themselves tirelessly to ensuring 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 like we were criticizing 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 matter. He stated, "We do not aim to oppose the police. We understand their necessity and wish to place our faith in them. This is precisely what makes it challenging to alert governments about this problem," Cottier remarked.