Race hate incidents in Northern Ireland have surged to the third highest level on record, new police figures reveal. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) recorded 2,048 race incidents and 1,280 race crimes between October 2024 and September 2025, marking a sharp increase during a period marked by widespread disorder across multiple towns.
The figures show 270 more race incidents and 112 more race crimes compared to the previous 12 months. The data represents the third highest 12-month total since recording began in 2004/05.
Four of the five highest monthly levels occurred between June and September 2025. August 2024 saw the highest monthly total ever recorded with 349 incidents, while June 2025 registered 347 incidents, the second highest on record.
Summer disorder and rising tensions
The spike coincides with a wave of rioting that swept through Ballymena, Larne, Belfast and Portadown in June 2025. The unrest followed charges against two Romanian-speaking teenagers for attempted rape after an alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in Ballymena.
Other hate crime categories also saw increases. Sexual orientation incidents rose from 359 to 363, though related crimes fell from 221 to 215. Transgender identity incidents climbed from 61 to 68, with crimes rising from 31 to 39.
Sectarian crimes increased by 22 despite a decrease of five in overall incidents. Disability crimes rose from 42 to 45, while faith and religion crimes fell from 74 to 54.
"Shameful year" of racist violence
Amnesty International condemned the figures as evidence of a "shameful year" and demanded urgent action from Stormont. Patrick Corrigan, the organization's Northern Ireland director, said: «This has been a shameful year of racist violence – from the targeting of families in Ballymena and other towns this summer to daily attacks on homes right across Northern Ireland.»
He emphasized the human cost behind the statistics: «Behind every shocking statistic, there is a real person or family left living in fear.» Corrigan criticized politicians for amplifying anti-migrant rhetoric, stating: «Yet too many politicians have echoed anti-migrant misinformation that provides the backdrop to these attacks, rather than stand with the victims of hate crimes.»
Strategy expires without replacement
The Executive's 2015-25 Race Equality Strategy expires in one month with no agreed successor plan in place. Corrigan called the existing strategy an "under-powered" failure: «Meanwhile, the Executive's under-powered 2015-25 Race Equality Strategy has been a dismal failure. It expires in a month, with no agreed plan in place to follow.»
He urged Stormont to act immediately: «We urgently need a bold action plan to confront and dismantle the toxic prejudice that has been allowed to take root across Northern Ireland.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
