AQW 4391/16-21

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 30/09/2016
Answered On Date: 17/10/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice what action her Department has taken to address a potential rise in racist harassment in Northern Ireland following the European Union referendum result.

Answer:

While reports of racist incidents following the referendum here in Northern Ireland have not been on the same scale as in England, this is an issue of concern for my Department. We will continue to monitor hate incidents in conjunction with the PSNI and other partners and take action where necessary.

I am committed to working with the Executive Office, who lead on tackling hate and intolerance in society, and other partners to ensure that the valuable contribution of migrants to Northern Ireland society is recognised, and to enhance their feelings of safety and security in our community. I recently launched the ‘No Hate Here’ campaign alongside Junior Ministers Fearon and Ross. This initiative, developed by North Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership, is designed to raise awareness of hate crime, support victims, and encourage local businesses and community groups to act as safe places where vulnerable members of the community can go for support.

From a criminal justice perspective, work to tackle hate crime is taken forward through my Department’s Community Safety Strategy, which contains a commitment to tackling all forms of hate crime and the harm it causes through prevention, awareness, education and support for victims and communities. To deliver on this commitment, my Department chairs a multi-agency Hate Crime Delivery Group, which takes forward actions relating to hate crime. Membership includes PSNI, the Probation Board, Courts Service, Prison Service, the Executive Office, the Housing Executive, and Victim Support NI.

An Action Plan has been developed to deliver this commitment; this includes actions around increasing reporting and providing support for victims of all hate crime, including through the regional Hate Crime Advocacy Service which is jointly funded by the PSNI and DOJ.

At a local level, Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs) develop and deliver a range of initiatives that aim to tackle racism and promote tolerance. I understand that, for example, Mid and East Antrim PCSP funds a bilingual advocacy service which provides a range of supports to black and minority ethnic communities in the local area.