by: Zuleyka Indarte
Amnesty International recently reported that the Spanish police are guilty of racial profiling as an attempt to fulfill the weekly and monthly quotas set by certain police stations in Madrid.
According to the report, law enforcers are encouraged to target people belonging to ethnic minorities. In a recent statement, Amnesty researcher Izza Leghtas stated, “People who do not ‘look Spanish’ can be stopped by police as often as four times a day…it is not only discriminatory and illegal – it also fuels prejudice…”
The police are expected to check the identity of people in public places if they present a case of security concern. Amnesty International found, however, that the group of people stopped is disproportionately composed of foreigners, namely those of non-European descent or appearance. Researchers also discovered most identity checks lacked the element of concern for security.
The allegations are subject for widespread concern in Spain, which is home to over 5 million foreign nationals. Half of the foreign population consists of non European nationals. “The Spanish authorities are using stop and search powers abusively as a way to control migration…Spain has the right to control migration, however, that should not be at the expense of the rights of migrants and minorities to equality and protection from discrimination,” said Leghtas.
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry rejected all allegations made by the organization.
