New PSNI report shows 1,777 racist incidents and 1,150 racist crimes in the year to end of December 2024

Level of race hate incidents hit new high during the summer period of June, July and August, peaking at 351 incidents in August

Hate crimes now represent more than 1 in 50 of all crimes in Northern Ireland

More than half of recorded race hate crimes were in Belfast

‘Years of complacency about the rise of racism here left bigoted thugs, including paramilitaries, emboldened to carry out an ever-greater number of attacks’ – Patrick Corrigan

Amnesty International has expressed concern at the level of racist hate crime in Northern Ireland, as new figures published today show attacks hit an all-time high during summer 2024.

The figures were published today in a report by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), which tracked recorded hate crimes and incidents for the twelve months to the end of December 2024.

The report reveals that there were 1,777 racist incidents and 1,150 racist crimes recorded by the police during 2024. There were 454 more race incidents and 292 more race crimes recorded in 2024 than the previous year. 

Six of the eight highest monthly levels of race incidents since records began in 2004 were recorded between May and October 2024.

The summer period of June, July and August recorded a new highest monthly level of race incidents, peaking at 351 incidents in August, the highest since police records began in 2004.

More than half (604) of recorded race hate crimes in 2024 were in Belfast. The second highest area for recorded race hate crimes during the year was Antrim and Newtownabbey (133).

Racist crimes represented 1.3% of all recorded crime during 2024. Hate crimes now represent more than 1 in 50 (2.15%) of all crimes in Northern Ireland.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, said:

“The last year has seen a devastating surge in hate crime in Northern Ireland, with thousands of victims left feeling afraid and unprotected, and race hate incidents hitting an all-time high during the summer.

“Years of complacency about the rise of racism here left bigoted thugs, including paramilitaries, emboldened to carry out an ever-greater number of attacks, particularly during the far-right violence in the summer.  

“That hate crime now represents more than one in fifty of all recorded crimes in Northern Ireland must be a wake-up call to both police and politicians.

“Tackling racism and hate crime in Northern Ireland will require not just a more consistent response from the police but unambiguous political leadership and effective strategies from the Executive, something which has hitherto been lacking.”