Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14545 | 26 April 2018

Ethnic profiling in Europe: a matter of high concern

Signatories: Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Ms Thorhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, Iceland, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Mr Ervin BUSHATI, Albania, SOC ; Ms Klotilda BUSHKA, Albania, SOC ; Mr Pablo BUSTINDUY, Spain, UEL ; Mr José CEPEDA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Eleonora CIMBRO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Simonas GENTVILAS, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Jaime GONZÁLEZ TABOADA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Miren Edurne GORROTXATEGUI, Spain, UEL ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Ms Susanna HUOVINEN, Finland, SOC ; Mr Valeri JABLIANOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Ms Colette KELLEHER, Ireland, SOC ; Mr Betian KITEV, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Ms Pilar LUCIO, Spain, SOC ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Rónán MULLEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Tabea RÖSSNER, Germany, SOC ; Ms Milena SANTERINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Lord Don TOUHIG, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr André VALLINI, France, SOC ; Mr Martin WHITFIELD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Almira XHEMBULLA, Albania, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Across Europe, individuals, including adolescents, continue to be disproportionately singled out for police identity checks and searches with no objective and reasonable justification, on discriminatory grounds including race, colour, language, religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin. Generally carried out in public view, this widespread practice, known as ethnic profiling, undermines the dignity of victims, provokes other acts of discrimination and abuse, and triggers fear and insecurity amongst affected groups and communities. Furthermore, many studies demonstrate that ethnic profiling is not an effective tool to prevent crime and terrorism. Ethnic profiling also damages the image of police as an impartial protector of all members of the public, with negative consequences for police’s credibility and effectiveness.

Well-established case law of the European Court of Human Rights obligates States to prohibit, avoid, and eliminate discrimination and take all necessary steps to provide effective judicial protection against such practices. A range of international and European bodies, including the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its General Policy Recommendation No. 11, and the Parliamentary Assembly, in particular, in Resolution 1968 (2014), have stressed the serious negative impact and illegality of ethnic profiling and urged States to respond appropriately by implementing a number of relevant measures.

Unfortunately, a number of States have not only failed to address the problem but, in some cases, have adopted legislation and practices that further enable ethnic profiling. As a result, credible reports indicate that the abuses that frequently accompany discriminatory checks have increased.

The Assembly therefore decides to take stock of the failure to bring ethnic profiling to an end, with a view of gathering relevant data, establishing adequate legal standards against abuse, introducing recording and independent oversight mechanisms, and, finally, putting an end to this regrettable practice.