Where Is Racism? Ireland's Racist Incidents Have Soared To Third Highest Level Ever

Racist incidents in Ireland have surged in the second half of 2016, with an increase from 190 to 245, according to statistics released in a study Tuesday by the European Network Against Racism Ireland (ENAR). Of the 245 incidents, at least 155 were recorded as alleged criminal offenses.

ENAR Ireland has used its website, iReport.ie, to collect reports through the “fully confidential and independent, civil-society based.”

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The study showed some alarming statistics for Ireland after a similar trend in racist incidents in the United States and the United Kingdom. There were 22 reports of assault, and 79 cases of verbal abuse.

The author of the study, Dr. Lucy Michael of Ulster University, found the results to be particularly worrisome. "The high number of reports that indicate that the incidents are part of an ongoing pattern of racism, particularly those which have escalated to violence over a period of time," she said.

The report also revealed the lack of support victims have in Gardai, Ireland's police force, in eradicating the issue. "(This) demonstrates that Garda efforts to tackle racism before it escalates needs to improve," Dr. Michael said.

More than 50 percent of the victims recorded in the data were Irish citizens, which concluded there was inter-generational and ingrained racism against minorities among the country. Director of ENAR Ireland Shane O'Curry believed the Irish state "as currently configured, the state in Ireland lacks the tools and resources it needs to combat racism and to provide equally for all who live here without fear or favor."

O'Curry pushed to address legislation against hate crime since the state currently did not have formal hate crime laws.

"International best practice tells us we also need a coherent vision and strategy in the form of a National Action Plan Against Racism," O'Curry said. "We call on legislators to provide leadership in shaping the kind of policies which can allow us to live in a Republic that cherishes us all equally."