The EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) highlights widespread underreporting of racist policing across the European Union.
According to a recent report from the Vienna-based agency, most EU countries lack official data sources on racist incidents and discrimination involving law enforcement. Only a handful, including Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, document such incidents separately.
The report underscores previous FRA research indicating that police disproportionately target young men, ethnic minorities, Muslims, and individuals who are not heterosexual.
Despite this, official records of police racism remain scarce, hindering efforts to gauge the extent of the issue. For instance, in 2020, the Czech Republic documented just one hate crime or extremist-related investigation involving security forces.
Denmark reported 12 incidents, and Greece recorded 25 incidents in 2020 and 2021 combined. However, these low figures do not reflect the true prevalence of racist policing, as evidenced by surveys, media coverage, and reports from civil society organizations.
FRA cites several incidents in recent years where individuals from minority backgrounds were fatally shot by police officers in the EU, including violent encounters in Greece and cases of police brutality in Portugal.
The agency emphasizes that racist policing perpetuates social exclusion and undermines trust in law enforcement. It urges EU countries to enhance reporting mechanisms for racist incidents and strengthen laws against racial and ethnic discrimination.
Furthermore, the report highlights shortcomings in police oversight, noting that many European countries lack independent watchdogs. FRA calls for increased diversity within police forces and emphasizes the need for systemic change to address racism in law enforcement.
In a 2022 survey conducted by FRA among people of African descent in 13 EU countries, respondents in Austria, Germany, and Ireland reported the highest rates of police stops, with men more frequently targeted than women.