Blacks, Arabs and Latin Americans are most likely to be victims of racial profiling and problems with police are just one of the areas of concern, says the Quebec Human Rights Commission.
The findings are contained in a report released Wednesday that will be the starting point for provincial hearings to be held in May and June.
The commission has been analyzing submissions from about 150 youths, parents and experts since September.
Ethnic youth said they faced discrimination from police officers but also in their schools and from youth protection agencies, the report says.
"These submissions confirmed that racial profiling exists and that it has an impact on the lives of young people and their families, and on society as a whole," the report reads.
The commission says it has dealt with at least 100 complaints of racial profiling since 2005 and that the findings in a consultation document are troubling.
Human toll
Commission president Gaetan Cousineau says he firmly believes racial profiling exists in the province, but that the population may need some convincing. He says profiling exacts a human toll.
"Not only did victims of racial profiling bring to the attention of the Commission troubling facts, but they also opened up, sharing their feelings of injustice, their mistrust, fear, and at times despair, in the wake of racial profiling incidents."
Reaction
Montreal police say they have been working for years on trying to overcome any racial profiling, and they say most officers don't engage in profiling.
CTV's Herb Luft says other organizations are reacting positively to the report.
"They expect now that the whole racial profiling issue will come out of the closet and land finally in the laps of the decision-makers in the government," he said.
Consultations
Public hearings on racial profiling will begin in Montreal on May 26 and will move to Quebec City on June 2 and Sherbrooke on June 3.
The commission says it will publish its final report by the end of the year.
