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There are “overwhelming” and “serious” concerns of unreported racism against international students in Ireland, a report has found.
The pandemic has led to an increase in incidents of racism, students say, but just 5 per cent of those who saw or experienced racism said they reported it to An Garda Síochána.
The report, launched on Thursday by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS), also finds international students are struggling to cope with high costs of accommodation, health insurance, high tuition fees; and students claim mental health supports have been “useless” throughout the pandemic.
The report found that 40 per cent of international students in higher education institutions said they had either seen or been victims of racism. However, just 5 per cent of those reported the incidents to gardaí.
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“Alarming reports” suggest students are frustrated at “the apparent lack of consequences facing young perpetrators of racism”. Some students said they felt the authorities did not protect them in such cases. They said An Garda Síochána “do nothing” about incidents of racism from youths and was “not receptive”.
The report highlights the “significant impact” of the Covid-19 pandemic on international higher education and English language school (ELS) students.
Of the 18,000 students from outside the EU studying in Ireland, 754 from 75 countries took part in a survey earlier this year and two focus groups were held.
Some 58 per cent of the respondents were in higher education while 42 per cent were attending an English language school.
The report suggests racism has increased since the onset of the pandemic, and some students “don’t feel protected by local police”. A number of students were quoted in the report detailing their lack of trust in authorities.
“The minors in this country are never punished,” said one student. “They can do what they like and all we can do is nothing. The police do not take our report seriously, so what’s the point in wasting your time?”
“There were some youths throwing eggs directly in my face. I know the Garda do not touch them and it is better just to leave.”
“We know Irish people come first and we will waste time trying to report something when we have seen other people reporting and authorities doing nothing.”
An Garda Síochána said: "Hate crime will not be tolerated and all hate crimes should be reported to An Garda Síochána where victims will be engaged with in a professional, sensitive and compassionate manner. All Hate crimes will be thoroughly investigated and victims supported during the criminal justice process."
Gardaí said they were aware that victims and witnesses of racism are often reluctant to report these incidences and a Garda diversity and integration strategy has been established to help prevent and detect hate crimes. A new approach to Garda diversity training will also be rolled out in 2022.
Commenting on the findings, Laura Harmon, executive director of ICOS, said: “While the pandemic has negatively impacted the entire student population in Ireland, our report shows that restrictions have hit international students particularly hard.
“It is important that we listen to those first-hand accounts and experiences, understand them, and take action to address them.”
The group called on higher education institutions to introduce policies to address racism against international students. Ambitions to attract new international students to Ireland must be matched by sufficient resources to fund additional supports at HEIs and schools, the report said.
‘Zero support’
Almost 80 per cent said their mental health suffered as a consequence of the pandemic, with many experiencing higher levels of difficulty with loneliness, depression and anxiety.
International students receive “absolutely zero support” according to one student. “Links to videos on yoga and workouts are not helpful . . . It’s incredibly hard to be here with no support. I feel like they lied to me to get my money. Once I paid tuition, they stopped caring. They don’t help where it counts. Very disappointed and will not be recommending the university to anyone.”
“I asked for help from college in September and they sent me a useless online course and never checked up on me again,” said another. “I ended up going home halfway through term and a therapist said in January I had symptoms of major depressive disorder.”
Like many college students, accommodation continues to be a challenge for international students, with overcrowding and poor conditions a significant problem.
According to the report, many students reported being dissatisfied with having to pay full international tuition fees (which can cost more than €40,000 depending on the course) to attend online lectures, particularly given that students could not avail of facilities, and owing to the lack of financial supports available to them.
ELS students in particular reported not having achieved the desired level of English due to their classes being delivered online.
Students also expressed concerns about the difficulties finding employment due to their Stamp 2 visa permission, which allows recent graduates to find work in Ireland. “When they see that you are not European,” says one student, “they won’t hire you. You can have all of the skills and have even passed the tests, but without the European passport, it’s a ‘no’.”
Another student claimed they were being “discriminated” based on their visa status. “Although I am on the stamp 1G, I’ve applied for more than 1,000 positions, but everything is down to my visa, not my qualifications. I am a lawyer, qualified in two countries, holder of a master’s and a postgraduate, and all my experience is irrelevant.”
Health insurance costs are also a considerable burden for international students; however, some respondents claim it does not cover many issues. One student suffered second-degree burns at work but said his health insurance did not apply. “It is practically when you are dying that you are going to be covered by the insurance,” the student said.
This article has been updated with a comment received from An Garda Síochána