Belfast Live
·27 Aug 2026
More than 500 racist incidents recorded in month riots erupted
Police recorded 2,561 racist incidents and 1,615 race-related crimes in Northern Ireland between July 2025 and June 2026, both the highest 12-month totals since records began. June, when riots involving attacks on homes, vehicles, a bus and foreign-national healthcare workers erupted, saw a record 512 incidents. Amnesty International said the figures showed a failure to protect vulnerable communities and urged the Stormont Executive to implement an anti-racism strategy and reform hate-crime laws. The PSNI condemned the rise, said it would pursue perpetrators, and reported 42 arrests linked to the June disorder, including 33 charges.