Two in five international students studying in Ireland have experienced or witnessed racism during their time here, with most incidents going unreported. The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) says racism is a major issue for international students and academics studying and working here.
ICOS executive director Laura Harmon said her ICOS was "very concerned" about the figures derived from its own research. Speaking at the organization's 'Speak Out Against Racism' conference on Thursday, Harmon called for the government to prioritize a national action plan against racism and to "provide more support for colleges to develop strategies, training and clear reporting procedures".
760 international students from 75 countries participated in the ICOS research, which was conducted using an online survey in several languages and two focus groups. 58% of those surveyed indicated that they were students at an Irish Higher Education Institution (HEI). The remaining 42% were students in English-language schools. Overall, 40% of respondents said they had encountered racism here, but only 5% said they had reported it to the GardaÃ.
Hosted by ICOS to mark International Students' Day, the event was well attended by academics and civil society organizations. UCC lecturer Dr. Amanulla de Zondi, who chaired the conference, said that the voices of those who have experienced racism and discrimination here need to be heard. "We need to strengthen this engagement by listening to the voices of minorities who are discriminated against and strengthen our institutional structures so that minorities feel safe and empowered," he said.
"We urgently need hate crime legislation so that all minorities feel safe," she added. At the same time, we also need a comprehensive national action plan against racism in all areas of life in Ireland so that we can tackle racism systematically. Another speaker, Ms Munatsi, said the government needed to "step up and show leadership" to tackle the problem.
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