Asian people 11 times more likely to be stopped at UK borders, analysis finds

EHRC analysis suggests stereotyping rather than intelligence may be key factor in use of counter-terrorism powers

Fresh concerns that Asian people are more than 11 times more likely than white people to be stopped at British airports and ports and questioned under counter-terrorism powers have been raised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A new experimental pattern of analysis of the ethnicity of the 50,000 people a year who are stopped to determine if they are involved in terrorism suggests that stereotyping rather than intelligence may be a key factor in the use of the powers under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The EHRC briefing paper published on Thursday says that when a more detailed analysis was done of the 2010/11 schedule 7 stops on the basis of nine separate ethnic categories, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese, those with a Pakistani background were shown to have very high levels of disproportionality. Pakistani people were 52 times more likely to be stopped than white people, they were 135 times more likely to be questioned and examined for more than an hour, and 154 times more likely to be detained.

The code of practice for port Border Force officers and police special branch says that they must ensure "that the selection of persons for examination is not solely based on their perceived ethnic background".

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/dec/05/asian-people-stopped-uk-borders-analysis

Sounds like profiling on the basis of race is more accepted in the UK. The "perceived ethnic background" of a person cannot be the sole reason, but can be used with other justifications.