Italy: a panel of experts from the United Nations Human Rights Council investigates the relationship between racial profiling and law enforcement work

ROMA – An eight-day mission carried out in Italy by experts from the United Nations Independent Mechanism to Promote Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement investigates the link between racial profiling and law enforcement practices, or how and how much the police, financial police and carabinieri carry out searches and checks based on the fact that the person is not an Italian citizen. The experts collected testimonies and had meetings in Rome, Milan, Catania and Naples. “Racial prejudice, stereotypes and profiling create harmful and unfounded associations between being black and crime and delinquency,” explains Akua Kuenyehia, the Ghanaian judge who is also President of the mission. Kuenyehia emphasizes that the legitimate task of promoting the safety and security of citizens should not be interpreted as a license to conduct racial profiling, because this erodes trust in law enforcement and reduces the effectiveness of law enforcement. work of the police.

Law enforcement. They carry out delicate work and for this reason they need additional support services for their health and that of their families, underlines the American Tracie L. Keesee, President of the Center for Policing Equity and member of the Mechanism during a press conference in Rome. Comprehensive race-based information is lacking in Italy, and this is a gap that hinders efforts to address racial disparities. Also because – comments the Argentine professor Juan Mendez, also on the panel of experts – the collection, publication and analysis of data disaggregated by race or ethnic origin, in all aspects of life but in particular regarding interactions with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, is an essential element in designing and evaluating responses to systemic racism.

The prison issue. The three members of the United Nations panel then addressed a crucial issue: overcrowding in prisons and the impact this has on respect for the rights of prisoners. Today there are a very high number of Africans and African descendants in prisons: an aspect that highlights the prevalence of systemic racism. Just as there is no shortage of cases of torture and mistreatment, including a recent one that occurred at the Cesare Beccaria penal institute for minors in Milan.

Migrants. Those arriving in Italy face many difficulties in accessing legal assistance, difficulties often exacerbated by the abuse of authority by law enforcement and bureaucratic delays. Experts emphasize the need for immigration services to be civil in nature and not intended as part of the police’s duties. They also suggest that immigration offices be located in or near the affected communities. During the mission, the members of the Mechanism listened to judges, prosecutors, lawyers and representatives of the main law enforcement bodies in Italy: Police, Guardia di Finanza, Penitentiary Police and Carabinieri. They also consulted the National Anti-Racial Discrimination Office (UNAR)the Observatory for safety against discriminatory acts (OSCAD), il Ensures National Committee on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Personal Liberty, and several key departments within the Ministries of the Interior and Justice. The members visited a reception center for migrants in Catania and the repatriation detention centres, the so-called CPRs, in Milan and in Ponte Galeria, near Rome. They also visited the Cesare Beccaria penal institute for minors and the San Vittore prison in Milan.

What is the Mechanism. The International Independent Expert Mechanism to Promote Racial Justice and Equality in the Law Enforcement Context was established in July 2021 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Among its objectives is to make recommendations on concrete measures to be taken to ensure access to justice, transparency, responsiveness and legal redress for excessive use of force and other human rights violations inflicted on Africans and to people of African descent by law enforcement.