Kids as young as 6 face racist abuse at school, Omagh event told

CHILDREN as young as six have been subjected to racist abuse at school, it was revealed at a roundtable discussion in Omagh.

Hosted by ERANO, a local support group for refugees and newcomers, the event brought together PSNI representatives, councillors, and community leaders to discuss a recent spike in hate crimes, racist graffiti, and online abuse throughout the Fermanagh and Omagh council area.

Among those in attendance were parents who shared disturbing accounts of children being targeted at a young age, prompting renewed calls for stronger anti-racism measures, particularly within schools.

“We are letting down future generations by not tackling and confronting these issues,” said one speaker, who asked to remain anonymous after describing how their six-year-old son was the victim of racially motivated bullying.

PSNI Sergeant Johnny Hamill presented recent figures and local case studies, including an incident in Coolnagard where racist messages were spray-painted on a wall.

He said that while Fermanagh and Omagh makes up 6.2 per-cent of Northern Ireland’s population, 2.1 per-cent of all racially motivated hate crimes occurred in the district in 2024.

“One race hate crime is one too many,” said Sgt Hamill. “It’s a basic human right that everyone should be treated equally.”

He urged members of the public to report racist incidents directly to the police rather than sharing images online, warning that social media posts can unintentionally amplify the messages of perpetrators.

“Overall, Omagh is a warm, welcoming area with good people, and we want to keep it that way,” he added.

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council John McClaughry said racism is still too often heard in everyday conversation.

“We need to nip it in the bud,” he said. “It’s simply unacceptable in this area.”

Sinn Féin councillor Barry McElduff spoke of the ‘major challenges’ in educating people, citing a recent conversation where a resident wrongly claimed that new housing developments were reserved solely for Ukrainian refugees.

“They were misinformed, and yet that misinformation provoked resentment,” he said. “This is why community education is essential.”

Alliance councillor Stephen Donnelly praised infrastructure officials for acting swiftly to remove recent racist graffiti.

“Such racism is not the voice of Omagh – it never has been, and never will be,” he said. “We need allyship. That’s what helps break down hate.”