Memorandum submitted by Her Majesty's
Government
INTRODUCTION
1. The Government welcomes the Northern
Ireland Affairs Committee's initiative in undertaking an inquiry
into "hate crime" in Northern Ireland.
2. Hate crime is an issue of particular
concern in Northern Ireland. The Government has frequently put
on record its abhorrence of all forms of intolerance and is committed
to eradicating all such manifestations of hatred, whether motivated
by racism, sectarianism or homophobia.
3. Enforcement action by the Police Service
of Northern Ireland will continue to be the key to tackling hate
crime. But enforcement action will accompanied by a range of actions:
— legislation giving courts the power
to impose heavier sentence where an offence is aggravated by hostility
based on religion, race or sexual orientation;
— action to protect vulnerable communities;
and
— action on education, housing, health
and social policy issues
4. The Government would stress that the
issues raised by hate crimes, and broader issues of prejudice
and equality in Northern Ireland, are issues for all sections
of society. In addressing these issues we must, however, avoid
demonising entire areas and communities.
5. The following memorandum sets out—very
briefly—the Government's views on the reasons for the reported
increase in crimes and incidents motivated by hatred in Northern
Ireland, how it is attempting to mitigate the impact of hate crime
and the measures that it is taking to tackle the underlying causes
of hate crimes and incidents. It follows the structure of the
Committee's terms of reference for the inquiry.
THE REASONS
FOR THE
REPORTED INCREASE
IN CRIMES
AND INCIDENTS
MOTIVATED BY
HATRED WITHIN
AND BETWEEN
THE COMMUNITIES
IN NORTHERN
IRELAND
Statistical evidence of an increase in crimes
and incidents motivated by hatred
6. The Police Service for Northern Ireland
(PSNI) collects information on the number of racial incidents[5]
and homophobic incidents. Until now there has been no systematic
collection and recording by the police of sectarian incidents,
although they have now begun to address this.
7. The figures for homophobic incidents
over the past four years are set out in Table 1. This shows a
fall in the number of such incidents in both 2001-02 and 2002-03,
with an increase in 2003-04.
8. The statistics for racial incidents show
that reports of these incidents and racially motivated crime in
Northern Ireland have increased significantly[6].
The figures for racial incidents are set out in Table 2. These
figures present a deeply disturbing picture. The Government has
no doubt that these figures represent a very substantial real
increase in the number of racial incidents and racist attacks
in Northern Ireland.
9. Moreover, behind the figures lies a higher
pro rata level of racial incidents per head than for most districts
of England and Wales. The Northern Ireland 2001 Census numbers
the minority ethnic population at 14,279, approximately 0.85%
of the total population.[7]
The rate of racial incidents in Northern Ireland in 2001-02 equates
to 12.9 per 1,000 minority ethnic population, compared with 6.7
for the same period in England and Wales. Earlier years show a
similar disparity. While it is difficult to make direct comparisons
across jurisdictions, it appears that racial incidents are more
prevalent in Northern Ireland than in most parts of England and
Wales.
Geographical location of racial incidents in Northern
Ireland
10. A detailed analysis of the 881 racial
incidents recorded by the police between 1996 and 2001[8]
showed that while incidents had been recorded in 67 towns and
villages across Northern Ireland, 49% of all incidents were recorded
in Belfast. 47% of those incidents were recorded in the south
of the city. This may be attributed in part to the relatively
high (in Northern Ireland terms) minority ethnic population in
South Belfast and to the fact that area has a reputation as an
entertainment and leisure area, which attracts people from a wide
area.
11. Recent press reports have highlighted
a spate of racist crimes committed against minority ethnic people
in South Belfast—in particular in the Village area of South
Belfast. Police statistics on reports of racial incidents provide
evidence that there has been an upsurge of such incidents in the
Village and adjacent areas. From 1 April 2003 to 29 January 2004,
police recorded 99 racial incidents in the Urban Region of Belfast,
the "vast majority" of which were in the Village area.
12. The Government has frequently and robustly
put on record its abhorrence of all forms of intolerance and stressed
its commitment to eradicating all manifestations of hatred, and
to the creation of a safer and more tolerant Northern Ireland.
It has also specifically condemned these recent racial incidents.
It believes that the key to tackling racial incidents, here as
elsewhere, is enforcement action by PSNI. However, it believes
that it is essential to understand and tackle the circumstances
that appear to have catalysed hostility in the Village area if
action is to be effective.
13. Government is also conscious of the
need to avoid the temptation to demonise entire areas and communities.
To stereotype people as racists because of where they live or
their community background would be an act of prejudice in itself.
Racial incidents—or incidents motivated by other types of
hatred and prejudice—and racial inequalities are issues
for all sections of society, and can arise anywhere.
Underlying causes for the recent spate of racial
incidents in South Belfast
14. The underlying causes for the spate
of racist violence are complex and inter-linked. They are far
from unique to this particular area of South Belfast, although
they present here in a more acute form—possibly because
of the relatively small number of minority ethnic people in Northern
Ireland, the availability of inexpensive housing in this area
in which there is already a concentration of minority ethnic people,
and the paramilitary dimension. Indeed, Belfast South constituency
has by far the highest percentage of minority ethnic residents
in Northern Ireland albeit at only around 3% of constituency residents.
The conflict in Northern Ireland over the past 30 years has created
patterns and attitudes—such as residential segregation and
heightened territorial awareness—that now adversely affect
minority ethnic communities
15. The underlying causes identified for
the spate of racial incidents may be summarised as follows:
— Socio-economic factors/housing
The economic and social decline of the area is
well charted[9].
Population decline within the area—and the related decline
in property values—has opened up opportunities for property
speculators. Substantial numbers of properties have been transformed
into multiple occupancy, and there has been a considerable expansion
of the private rented sector within the area. This has been cited
as being a key factor in arousing resentment of the "indigenous"
community. There is a widespread perception that local people
are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain affordable housing
within their community and close to their extended families. The
rate of these developments in the property market over the last
year has been very much accelerated.
The availability of a plentiful supply of rented
housing in the area, together with its location close to the city
centre, Queen's University Belfast and the Royal Group of Hospitals
has attracted substantial number of students and others seeking
housing, including new migrants and nurses recruited from abroad
to work in local hospitals. Locals mention "a perceptible
increase" in the Chinese community around Donegall Pass and
in asylum seekers and members of minority ethnic communities in
private rented accommodation in the Village area.
The "traditional" communities in the
Village and around Donegall Pass, are said to feel themselves
to be besieged and under threat. (This is very much the tenor
of a leaflet—entitled Yellow Invasion. Who's (sic.) "Pass"
is it?—that was circulated in the Donegall Pass area in
early March 2004.) This has contributed to a climate where actions
against perceived "threats" can and have occurred. In
recent years students, nurses and young professionals in rented
accommodation have all been the targets of intimidation.
— Misconceptions of some Minority Ethnic
people and the "baby boom"
A disturbing feature of the recent race attacks
has been the number of pregnant women (or women with very young
babies) who have been attacked. There are suggestions that pregnant
women have been led to believe—wrongly—that if their
child is born in Belfast the parents will be able to obtain Irish
citizenship and that there are lucrative trafficking operations.
There are stories that the Royal Victoria Hospital has been inundated
with minority ethnic women in an advanced state of pregnancy.
— The paramilitary dimension
There is a view that protection rackets being
run by local paramilitaries lie at the root of at least some of
the attacks. It is reported that Chinese owned businesses and
restaurants in the area are routinely required to pay protection
money to loyalist paramilitaries.
At least some of the attacks would appear to
have been motivated by what might be termed "casual"
racism, which may have been stirred up by leafleting campaigns
by British racist groups. A member of the British National Party
visited Belfast towards the end of 2003 and the BNP clearly see
Northern Ireland as a potentially fruitful recruiting ground.
The links between racist organisations in Great Britain and aspects
of loyalism have been fairly well documented.
16. The Government is committed to a co-ordinated
response to the attacks—and underlying issues—and
to the problem of racial incidents throughout Northern Ireland.
Government adopts a layered—long- and short-term, general
and specific—approach to tackling both cause and effect
in the South Belfast and Northern Ireland more generally. The
Government is determined that lessons will be learned from the
spate of attacks in South Belfast that will allow it to hone action
against racism across Northern Ireland.
THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF MEASURES
TAKEN BY
GOVERNMENT AND
RELEVANT AGENCIES
TO TACKLE
PREJUDICE, AND
TO SUPPORT
THE VICTIMS
OF SUCH
PREJUDICE
Community Safety
17. Within Northern Ireland's Community
Safety Strategy, hate crime is identified as a key issue with
clear commitments to bring about legislative change, develop effective
local strategies and solutions, commission research into the nature
and extent of racially motivated crime and establish a multi-agency
system to record and monitor racial incidents.
18. Hate crime and incidents will also impact
on other key issues within the strategy including; tackling anti-social
behaviour and neighbourhood disorder, addressing the fear of crime
and reducing business and retail crime.
Recording and monitoring hate incidents
19. The Community Safety Unit of the NIO
is facilitating the development of a Multi-Agency Working Group
on Recording and Monitoring of Incidents Motivated by Hatred.
It is intended to expand the work of this group to implement a
number of key tasks; for example, a social marketing campaign
to promote the benefits brought to Northern Ireland by minority
ethnic people. The Working Group would link to the Northern Ireland
Race Forum (described below) and act as its implementation wing.
Community Safety Partnerships
20. At local level, the Community Safety
Unit will stimulate Community Safety Partnerships to address Hate
Crime. Community Safety Co-ordinators will engage with local groups
and agencies, building on local partnership structures to prevent
hate crime occurring, protect and support those who experience
it and bring to justice those who perpetrate it. The Unit has
recently funded a number of local projects generated by Community
Safety Partnerships to address Hate Crime issues. In addition,
the Unit is currently developing strategies to deploy CCTV systems
and tackle crime against vulnerable people and grants for small
businesses, all of which will impact on minority ethnic groups
and individuals.
Victim Support
21. The Community Safety Unit also funds
the work of Victim Support. As an organisation Victim Support
often faces difficulties in organising services for ethnic minority
groups because of language and other cultural barriers. They are,
however, committed to ensuring that all sections of the community
are offered emotional support and practical help. This is particularly
relevant for victims of racist violence who would be eligible
to apply for Criminal Injuries Compensation.
Victim Service to the Chinese Community
22. The police and Victim Support have had
contact with the Chinese Welfare Association to discuss proposals
to improve victim service to the Chinese Community. These include:
(a) The Chinese Welfare Association (CWA)
will identify bilingual members who will be selected and trained
Victim Support Volunteers.
(b) On receipt of referrals where a crime/racial
incident has been perpetrated against member/s of Chinese Community,
Victim Support (VS) will be able to identify a trained Volunteer
from the Chinese community to provide emotional support and practical
help—including helping a person complete an application
form for compensation.
(c) VS will have primary responsibility for
the management of Volunteers from the Chinese community.
(d) VS will adapt their Training Pack to
ensure that it is sensitive and respectful of cultural issues.
(e) VS will continue to work with management
of CWA to identify gaps in service provision and to work together
to develop more effective services to victims of the Chinese community.
The Community Safety Unit sees this proposal
as a pilot that could be replicated with other minority ethnic
groups in NI.
Good Relations Policy
23. The Government is currently developing
its policy on improving relations in Northern Ireland. Respondents
to the Shared Future consultation have urged Government to deliver
policies for good relations that will address the following priorities
(in ranked order).
— To eliminate sectarianism, racism,
and enable people to live and work without fear or intimidation.
— To reduce tension and conflict at
interface areas.
— To support the development of integrated/shared
communities.
The Government will present proposals later
this year to for a new cross-departmental strategy and framework
to promote good relations between and within communities in Northern
Ireland.
Northern Ireland Race Equality Strategy
24. The Government is also finalising its
Race Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland. This will involve
co-ordinated actions across the Northern Ireland Administration,
the NIO, and relevant agencies, developed through close contact
and consultation with minority ethnic voluntary organisations
and representatives of minority ethnic communities. Following
a period of broadly based and inclusive public consultation in
2003, the final strategy will be launched this summer. It will
cover the full range of policy issues that impact on the daily
lives of our citizens from minority ethnic communities.
Northern Ireland Race Forum
25. The Government has also set up a Race
Forum. It has a key role in the development and implementation
of the Northern Ireland Race Equality Strategy, and in helping
to tackle issues of concern to minority ethnic people. The Forum
comprises representatives of minority ethnic communities alongside
those from Northern Ireland Departments, statutory bodies and
voluntary and community organisations.
Funding Scheme for Minority Ethnic Voluntary Organisations
26. A funding scheme for minority ethnic
voluntary organisations was established in OFMDFM in April 2001.
The scheme supports voluntary and community groups to assist in
the improving of relations between different ethnic groups and
with, of course, the majority community. Awards of £0.5 million
in respect of 21 organisations were announced on 22 March 2004.
Proposals in relation to the development of the fund will be brought
forward as part of the Race Equality Strategy.
Discussions with political representatives
27. Northern Ireland Departments are engaged
in discussions with political representatives and are working
with community organisations and minority ethnic organisations
to identify and tackle issues at a local level.
Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy
28. Implementation of the Neighbourhood
Renewal Strategy in Belfast, led by the Department for Social
Development and aimed at tackling the social and economic deprivation
that can prove the breeding ground for racial attacks to flourish
in areas such as the Village, will be an important policy intervention.
Health, Housing and Education
29. Northern Ireland Departments are currently
in discussion about how to address issues relating to health,
housing and education that have been thrown up by the spate of
racist attacks in South Belfast.
30. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive
(NIHE) was recently granted enhanced powers to address the perpetrators
of race hate crimes through injunction irrespective of their tenure;
previously, redress had only been available against NIHE tenants.
The NIHE also provides rehousing in the event of intimidation—temporarily
pending investigation, and permanently when appropriate. The NIHE
staff has been provided with written guidance and training to
deal with housing and homeless applications to ensure that all
incidents, whether racial, terrorist or sectarian intimidation,
are treated with the same degree of urgency and sensitivity.
31. The Department of Education is piloting
a Local and Global Citizenship component for the school curriculum.
This will seek to give pupils knowledge and understanding of their
own and others' beliefs, values and cultural traditions.
Action on sexual orientation
32. Government is developing a strategic
action plan on sexual orientation. The Office of the First Minister
and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) has met representatives of
sexual orientation groups who highlighted the issues facing them.
The Department will work with these groups to develop proposals
for action, and has already financially supported the publication
of research by some organisations.
33. OFMDFM has also commissioned research
on the issue of sexual orientation in relation to the promotion
of equality, information gaps, both qualitative and quantitative,
and the provision of recommendations for future data collection
and research. This report is due to be published in late Spring
2004.
THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE
EXISTING LAW
AND PROPOSED
CHANGES TO
THAT LAW
34. An important feature of the Government's
strategic and operational response to the problem of "hate
crime" has been its review of criminal legislation in this
area. The Government sees it as vital clearly to demonstrate its
intolerance of such actions through the weight of the criminal
law. The justice system must be able to respond to criminal behaviour
firmly and appropriately and it is essential that prosecutors
and courts have the tools available to them to deal with such
behaviour.
35. Research commissioned by the Northern
Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[10]
and published in 2000 had already identified issues around racial
prejudice in Northern Ireland, and as public concerns about "hate
crime" grew, the Government carried out a public consultation
exercise in 2003 on policy proposals for new legislative provisions.
The consultation document contained proposals for extra sentencing
powers for offences motivated by religious or racial hostility.
And while it did not focus specifically on hostility based on
sexual orientation, consultees also considered this to be an area
of concern.
36. In publishing proposals for new legislation,
the Government was recognising that the extant criminal law may
not be sufficient with regard to this area. This was also in the
knowledge that legislation had developed in England and Wales
to provide courts with wider sentencing powers. The time was right
to review our legislation.
Current legislation: Northern Ireland and England
and Wales
37. In England and Wales, the Crime and
Disorder Act 1998 made specific provision for racially motivated
offences. The Act created nine racially aggravated offences with
greater maximum sentences than the "ordinary" equivalent
offences. The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 extended
the protections to religion; the Criminal Justice Act of 2003
extended them by creating similar provisions with regard to sexual
orientation and disability.
38. Unlike England and Wales, there are
currently no specific offences in statute in Northern Ireland
in the area of "hate crime". And for those offences
created in the Crime and Disorder, and Criminal Justice Acts,
the maximum penalties are higher than in Northern Ireland. This
is not to imply that crimes motivated by hatred go unpunished
in Northern Ireland. Under sentencing guidelines, sectarian or
racial motivation can be regarded as an aggravating factor which
can then result in longer sentences than those not so motivated.
More generally, sentencers in Northern Ireland have similar if
not identical powers to those in England and Wales—particularly
in relation to serious violent crime. It is the relevant offences
created in the Crime and Disorder and Criminal Justice Acts where
maximum penalties differ.
39. Public order legislation in Northern
Ireland differs from that in Great Britain and offences defined
by the Public Order Act 1986 do not exist here in the same form.
The Public Order Act 1986 defines racial hatred as "hatred
against a group of persons in Great Britain defined by reference
to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic
or national origins". It provides that a person is guilty
of an offence if by his actions he intends to, or is likely to,
stir up racial hatred. The Northern Ireland equivalent to the
Public Order Act 1986, the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order
1987, contains similar provisions relating to incitement to racial
hatred. It goes beyond the Great Britain legislation both by including
the concept of arousing fear along with stirring up hatred and
by including religious as well as racial grounds. It does not,
however, include the offences contained in section 5 of the 1986
Act (which include the display of any writing, sign "or other
visible representation" which is threatening, abusive or
insulting "within the hearing or sight of a person likely
to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby").
The new proposals
40. In response to the consultation, Government
recently published proposals to specifically update the law on
"hate crime". (A copy of the draft Order in Council
and the accompanying Explanatory Document have already been provided
to the Committee but are additionally included with this Memorandum
for convenience.) In broad terms, the proposed draft Criminal
Justice (Northern Ireland) 2004 Order—which also deals with
the completely separate but equally important problem of so-called
"joyriding""—does three things:
— Where an offence is aggravated by
hostility, the court is required to treat the aggravation as a
factor that increases the seriousness of the offence and when
there has been such aggravation, sentencers will be required to
state this in open court.
— It increases the maximum penalties
which can be imposed—examples of proposed increases being:
"grievous bodily harm" and "putting someone in
fear of violence" will increase from 5 to 7 years; and criminal
damage will increase from 10 to 14 years imprisonment. (The penalties
are being increased across the board—not solely where racial,
religious or sexual orientation aggravation exists.) The full
proposals on offences and increased penalties are detailed by
way of a list at Annex A.
— And it includes groups defined by
sexual orientation within those already protected under public
order law. (The protections currently apply with regard to religious
belief, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins.)
The use of threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour;
the display and distribution of written material; and related
activities intended or likely to stir up hatred or arouse fear
will be offences if based on a person's sexual orientation. Inciting
hatred or fear based on sexual orientation will also therefore
attract a penalty of up to six months imprisonment.
41. An offence is aggravated if, either
at the time of the offence, immediately before or after its commission,
the offender demonstrates hostility to the victim based on the
victim's racial or religious group, or on his/her sexual orientation.
In addition to hostility based on the victim's individual racial,
religious or sexual orientation group, aggravation can exist if
the offence is motivated wholly or partly by hostility based on
membership, or presumed membership of one of those groups.
42. Racial group has the same meaning as
in the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 ie "a
group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality
or ethnic or national origins, and references to a person's racial
group refer to any racial group into which he falls". Racial
group includes the Irish Traveller community. Religious group
is a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief
or lack of religious belief. Sexual orientation group is a group
of persons defined by reference to sexual orientation and will
cover heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual orientations. Membership
includes association with members of those groups.
Proposed law: Northern Ireland compared to England
and Wales
43. The legislative proposals for Northern
Ireland differ from the law in existence in England and Wales
in three broad ways—two in terms of approach, and one in
terms of scope. On approach, firstly, Northern Ireland will not
create specific racial, religious, or homophobia aggravated offences.
The proposal adopts a more general approach—to increase
the penalties available to the court and allow it to increase
sentences as appropriate where hostility has been established.
This approach allows prosecutors greater flexibility in prosecution,
and sentencers greater flexibility in sentencing. The creation
of specific—for example—racially motivated offences,
can make successful prosecution for the underpinning offence more
difficult if the racial motivation cannot be established. The
intention is to ensure that the base conviction can still be secured.
44. Secondly on approach, for Northern Ireland
the provisions will be applied when there is hostility based on
a victim's membership of a group or where the offence is motivated
by hostility towards the group. The concept of "group"
is at the heart of the proposals—unlike England and Wales
where a mixed approach is taken. For example, under the Crime
and Disorder Act, racial hostility to a particular individual
must be demonstrated to secure conviction; whereas under the Criminal
Justice Act, hostility towards sexual orientation can be demonstrated
by hostility to the group. For Northern Ireland, prosecution for
hostility towards a victim's membership or perceived membership
of a group, or for the offender's hostility towards a group, provides
the criminal justice system with the flexibility required to successfully
tackle this problem in its early stages.
45. In terms of scope, the proposals for
Northern Ireland do not extend to hostility towards individuals
with disability—provision for which was recently included
in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Firstly and most importantly,
the inclusion in our consultation of proposals with regard to
racial and religious hostility arose from strong public recognition
and clear evidence of there being a problem. And for sexual orientation,
along with emerging research in the area, this too emerged in
consultation. And whilst we recognise that vulnerability is an
issue particularly for the disabled, the extent to which they
may be targeted as a group is probably motivated more by opportunity
than hostility. Our approach of broadening penalties in key offences
which will apply to all will provide that the disabled—along
with elderly people, young people or indeed people with injuries—will
have similar protections available to them.
46. In summary, the draft Criminal Justice
(Northern Ireland) Order 2004 brings forward legislative proposals
specifically designed to tackle the problems in Northern Ireland.
The Government's aim is that this legislation will provide the
criminal justice system with the powers and flexibility to deal
with "hate crime" in its varied forms. And as part of
the wider strategy described elsewhere in this Memorandum, to
demonstrate its commitment to eradicate such manifestations of
hatred; and to bring about a society which recognises the full
and equal worth of identities, senses of allegiance and ethos
of all sections and communities in Northern Ireland.
March 2004
Table 1
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Homophobic Incident Statistics 2000/01—2003/04
(part year to 10 Feb 2004 only)
|
| 2000-01
| 2001-02 | 2002-03
| 2003-04
(10/2/04)
|
|
| Verbal Abuse/Threat | 9
| 5 | 10
| 17 |
| Written Material | 1
| 1 | |
|
| Graffiti | |
| | 5 |
| Physical Assault | 30
| 19 | 16
| 29 |
| Attack on Home | 7
| 5 | 5
| 2 |
| Attack on Property | 4
| 4 | 2
| 5 |
| Other | 6 |
6 | 2
| 1 |
| Total | 57
| 40 | 35
| 59 |
|
Table 2
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Racial Incident Statistics for 1998/99—2003/04
(part year to 10 Feb 2004 only)
|
| 1998-99 |
1999-2000 | 2000-01
| 2001-02 | 2002-03
| 2003-04
(10/2/04) |
|
| Verbal Abuse/Threat | 32
| 67 | 77
| 50 | 56
| 78 |
| Written Material | 1
| 4 | 1
| 4 | 3
| 7 |
| Graffiti | 5
| 7 | 6
| 2 | 4
| 6 |
| Physical Assault | 15
| 54 | 58
| 37 | 50
| 81 |
| Attack on Home | 13
| 53 | 49
| 38 | 59
| 103 |
| Attack on Property | 20
| 37 | 45
| 33 | 39
| 36 |
| Other | 7 |
15 | 24
| 21 | 15
| 11 |
| Total | 93 |
237 | 260
| 185 | 226
| 322 |
|
5
A "racial incident" means any incident with a race
dimension-and covers both crimes and non-crimes (to use the McPherson
phrase). While it includes attacks on people and property it also
includes incidents which would not normally result in criminal
proceedings." Back
6
There are, of course, several factors that may have contributed
to the increase in reports (an increase in the number of people
who are prepared to report incidents to the police; improvements
in police incident-recording mechanisms; the impact of the high-profile
Stephen Lawrence Report on attitudes towards reporting and recording
of incidents) Equally, there is a range of factors, which PSNI
and other agencies are seeking to address, that may limit the
reporting of racial incidents. These factors and those mentioned
above, are, however, not unique to Northern Ireland. Back
7
However, organisations in the sector estimate the minority ethnic
population of NI at 2%. They attribute this disparity to several
communities not having completed the census. Back
8
Racist Harassment in Northern Ireland by Neil Jarman and Rachel
Monaghan of the Institute for Conflict Research. Back
9
eg in the Belfast Implementation Plan for the neighbourhood renewal
strategy. Back
10
Racial Attitudes and Prejudice in Northern Ireland by Drs Paul
Connolly and Michaela Keenan, February 2000. Back
| 
