The Italian police draw up "racial profiles" with gypsies and people of African origin mainly. This has been demonstrated by a report by the European Commission against Racism and Introlence (ECRI) of the European Council, which concludes that the police carry out arrests and controls under racist filters. "Civil society and various organisations have been informed of this", notes the report, which contains the final conclusions. However, data on this persecution are limited, and police forces do not want "the size of the problem" to be shown, according to the statement.

Many have reported that Italian police particularly harass racialized people and people from the LGTBI group, according to a study by the organization ASGI and MEDI Study Centre Genoa (Italy). 45.8% of the migrants surveyed reported having suffered some discrimination or racism in police stations and, among all the institutions and public spaces analyzed, police stations were the most discriminatory.

Migrants reported, inter alia, that the police unjustifiably deny them their asylum applications, destroy them personal documents, insult them or beat them.

Torture and expulsions, systematic

Police persecution and aggression against Roma people are, in particular, constant in Italy. Between 2017 and 2021, the Police evicted a total of 187 Roma homes or accommodations, resulting in at least 3,156 people being evicted from their homes. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has warned that "there is more eviction than people think" and that at least once a week a Roma is evicted.

Torture and other ill-treatment by detainees have also been reported. Last year, for example, five policemen in Verona were arrested for beating and torturing migrant and homeless people in different parts of Spain. In some cases, the police would throw pepper into their eyes and kick them in their heads until they became unconscious. Other times, when they were identified, they were forced to urinate on the ground and lie on top. These ill-treatment was reiterated by the detained agents, at least between July 2022 and March 2023.

The most famous case, however, was that of Hasib Omerovic. Hasib was gypsy and deaf at birth. On 25 July 2020, at the age of 36, there was an illegal raid on her home by the police. According to the official version, Hasib "fell" from a window of his house, after falling to a height of nine meters. The judge defended the story of the police, who were arrested by the National High Court.

Hasiben's sister's testimony, however, was very different. As he reported, several countryman cops "asked him for documents, beat him with a stick and kicked him." She escaped to her room, but the agents "beat her and threw her out the window," she said.

The police are supported by the Government

Following the report, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a strong defence of the Police: "Our police forces work responsibly," he added. Deputy Prime Ministers, Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani, also supported the Police and criticized the report. In his view, the agents have been "harassed by the report of a body that is unable to do anything". "If the Roma and illegal immigrants like it so much, they should take them home in Strasbourg," the fascist authorities said in a statement.