Black people in Ireland are facing worsening levels of racism, despite making up only 1.5% of the population. According to a March 2023 report by the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), 600 racist incidents were registered in 2022 via the iReport.ie portal, up from 404 in 2021. Of the total documented, 223 were criminal, while 190 involved illegal discrimination and 136 hate speech.
The INAR says the growth in racism is driven by anti-migrant rhetoric from far-right groups. It also notes that harassment often goes unaddressed by the authorities.
In this clip, Baisat Alawiye, a trainee secondary-school teacher in Ireland, sheds light on how racism in Ireland impacts education and why the issue needs to be addressed early on in the classroom. She wants to see policies that work towards genuine inclusion – rather than just hear grandstanding statements on diversity.
Video Credit: GORM (YouTube)
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPDAoe9o9xE
https://emn.ie/one-in-ten-of-the-population-are-non-irish-citizens-census-2022-figures-show/
https://inar.ie/reportsofracism2022