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Ethnic Profiling in the European Union: Pervasive, Ineffective, and Discriminatory

Date:
May 2009
Source:
Open Society Foundations

Pervasive use of ethnic and religious stereotypes by law enforcement across Europe is harming efforts to combat crime and terrorism, according to this report released by the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Ethnic profiling occurs most often in police decisions about who to stop, question, search, and, at times, arrest. Yet there is no evidence that ethnic profiling actually prevents terrorism or lowers crime rates.

Throughout Europe, minorities and immigrant communities have reported discriminatory treatment by the police. From massive data mining operations to intimidating identity checks, ethnic profiling is often more of a public relations stunt than a real response to crime. The report, Ethnic Profiling in the European Union: Pervasive, Ineffective, and Discriminatory, details widespread profiling in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and other EU member states.

The complete report, as well as an executive summary in Dutch, French, German, and Italian is available for download below.

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Ethnic Profiling in the European Union (Executive Summary, Dutch)
PDF Document - 157K
Download a summary of the report in Dutch.

Ethnic Profiling in the European Union (Executive Summary, French)
PDF Document - 162K
Download a summary of the report in French.

Ethnic Profiling in the European Union (Executive Summary, German)
PDF Document - 168K
Download a summary of the report in German.

Ethnic Profiling in the European Union (Executive Summary, Italian)
PDF Document - 157K
Download a summary of the report in Italian.

Ethnic Profiling in the European Union (Executive Summary)
PDF Document - 168K
Download a summary of the report.

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Related Information

Advocates Launch Constitutional Challenge to Ethnic Profiling by French Police
Press Release
May 24, 2011
An unprecedented constitutional challenge to the widespread use of ethnic profiling by French police has been launched this week by more than 50 French lawyers, with the support of the Open Society Justice Initiative.

The Problem of Ethnic Profiling in Europe
May 2011
This fact sheet explains the problem of ethnic profiling in Europe and shows that the practice is wasteful as well as ineffective in fighting and preventing crime.

Challenging Ethnic Profiling in Europe
OSI-New York
March 17, 2010
audio AUDIO
Rosalind Williams discusses her experience challenging racial profiling in Europe and the implications of her landmark UN Human Rights Committee case, along with Open Society Justice Initiative experts on ethnic profiling.

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