Blog 6 - France: Unwarranted Police Behaviour by Conducting Racial Profiling

 France: Unwarranted Police Behaviour by Conducting Racial Profiling

French and International Human Rights organizations are coming together to promote and speak out on a campaign promise made by President François Hollande during his run for office. The newly elected President Hollande stood committed in “fight[ing] against ethic profiling and abusive practices during identity checks”, but has had recent opposition by other active political figures. Human Rights Groups such as Human Rights Watch (France) (Ligues des Droits du l'Homme) and Grains of France (Graines de France) have come to support Hollande's prospective plans, also applying pressure for it's passing into French law. These expected modifications are to eliminate racial profiling and to prevent abuse by French police and Gendarmerie when conducting identity checks. These means of security are breaching upon violating the right to privacy and cause humiliation. Often these check are performed not based on behaviour, but rather on race and appearance. New restrictions on police and Gendarmerie include “specific rules for the use of physical pat-downs” and “stop forms”, newly introduced documents required to be filled out during every check. These stop forms are a way to prevent invasion of privacy and to allow evaluation of identity check powers.

France has a history following struggles of racial profiling and heated immigration debates. Many French immigrants are the targets of discrimination and unfair treatment, as many immigrants in other countries do as well. However, harassment should not be tolerated nor performed by local police and Gendarmerie. The racial profiling in conducting identity checks is racial discrimination. Police officials should be forced to ensure identity checks are only conducted on the basis of reasonable suspicion. Modifications should be enforced to “establish a procedure respectful of citizens”. The french government has not been the only political body facing such scrutiny in past years. Certain resemblance can be drawn to the 2010 Arizona legislative law allowing police officers to conduct driver's license and other document checks with the purpose to root out illegal immigrants. This caused for accusations of racial discrimination. Arizona's neighbour state New Mexico contested this law, the state itself having opposing viewpoints on immigration. Nonetheless harassment should never be tolerated, especially when on grounds of racial profiling and abuse.  

Oct. 5th, 2012  16.45 

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/05/france-respect-hollande-s-commitment-id-checks