The Problem of Ethnic Profiling in Europe

Throughout Europe, minorities and immigrant communities routinely report discriminatory treatment by the police, particularly in police decisions about whom to stop, question, search, and arrest.

The use by law enforcement officials of generalizations grounded in ethnicity, race, religion, or national origin—rather than objective evidence or individual behavior as the basis for determining who may have been involved in criminal activity—is called ethnic profiling. It is ineffective, inefficient, and discriminatory.

An illegal practice, ethnic profiling stigmatizes entire groups of people as criminals, potential terrorists, or irregular migrants, thereby legitimizing and reinforcing broader racial stereotypes.

This fact sheet discusses the concept of ethnic profiling, explains why it is a bad law enforcement practice, and summarizes the Open Society Justice Initiative’s efforts to combat it throughout Europe.