People of African descent and Brazilians in Ireland experience widespread discriminatory policing and racial profiling, a new study has found.

The report by the Irish Network Against Racism was commissioned and funded by the Policing Authority.

It draws on data gathered between April 2023 and January 2024 from a national online survey of almost 200 people who identified either as African or of African descent or Brazilian.

Researchers carried out thirty in-depth interviews with community members and four focus groups comprising of Brazilians in Dublin and a rural area as well as Africans and people of African descent in Dublin and another region.

African female emigrants with Irish Tricolor wigs at St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland as of 2019. Image: Alamy

The report found that people of African and Brazilian descent in Ireland have a deep lack of trust in the Gardaí.

It highlights accounts of traumatic stop-and-search incidents, including strip searches, wrongful arrests, and property damage.

Leon Diop, who grew up in Tallaght with an Irish Mum and a Senegalese Dad, is one of those who took part in the survey.

The Tallaght man said he has been racially profiled by Gardaí in the past.

Leon Diop. Image: Newstalk

"I can think of different experiences like stop and searches - myself and a friend were walking to a shop and two guards stopped us and told us we are doing a stop and search on ya," he said.

"I was completely stunned, froze, didn’t know what to do, what to say.

“I remember it like it was yesterday, it was kind of humiliating, especially with other people looking at us when it happened.

"I do believe that if it was myself and another white friend, then that wouldn’t have happened - it made me feel like I did something wrong, when I hadn’t."

Brazil and Ireland - two flags on flagpoles and blue cloudy sky. Image: Alamy

Meanwhile, Brazilian respondents reported profiling where Gardaí assumed they were involved in drug-dealing.

Rickshaw and food-delivery drivers said they were “targeted for repeated questioning and drug searches”.

Co-author of the report, academic and human rights commissioner Dr Lucy Michael said: “People of African descent among the Brazilian community, who describe themselves as Afro-Brazilians had experiences that were much more alike other migrants of African descent than other white Brazilians.

"So the experience of Afro-Brazilians highlights to us that skin colour definitely does make a difference as to how they are treated by Gardaí both as suspects and victims."

A large crowd gathers to show their opposition to racist attacks which have become common in Belfast. Image: Alamy

In response to these findings, the Irish Network Against Racism is calling for urgent reforms within An Garda Síochána to address racial discrimination in policing.

Gardaí have responded to the report, saying: "The allegation of racial profiling by members of An Garda Síochána is a very serious one and An Garda Síochána would ask any representative group claiming such or the individuals themselves to bring any allegations about this to either our attention or the attention of GSOC so they can be examined.

"An Garda Síochána is one of the most trusted police services in the world based on our tradition of policing by consent.

"An Garda Síochána polices in the interests of all people and all communities."

A Garda station. Image: Alamy

Gardaí called upon the 2022 Garda Public Attitudes Survey of 7,699 adults, which reported that "90% of adults believe Gardaí would treat them with respect and 75% said they would be treated fairly".

"79 per cent said An Garda Síochána was human-rights focused," Gardaí said.

"As there is no legal basis for the collection of ethnic identifiers during Garda operations, there is no concrete data available to support the contention that there is ethnic profiling by An Garda Síochána."

Main image: Split image of Leon Diop (R) and a Garda (L).