Although the UK city of Culture celebrations continue the stark reality remains that racist motivated incidents in Foyle has risen by a staggering 120% in the last year.
With a 178% increase in sectarian motivated incidents in the same period could the sad day be coming when rates of racism will be on a par with sectarianism?
So, is Derry a racist place? Do foreign visitors feel happy living and working here?
Headliners reporters investigated.
Kumar (17) from Iran was attacked walking home from a nightclub in Derry city centre. He shared: “I was alone and was just minding my own business. I heard shouts from behind me then I knew there was a group following me. There wasn’t many people around and I was very frightened.
“One guy jumped in front of me and pushed me backwards. Then another guy pushed me from behind. They pushed me around the group until I fell on the ground. One guy spat on me and said: “Why don’t you get out of our city. Go and steal jobs somewhere else!”
Kumar did not report this incident to the police because he was scared if the boys were caught they would come after him.
Jyoti (18) from India was studying in the library in the city when a group of girls started laughing at her and mocking the Indian culture.
She told us: “I had been living in Derry for four years and was studying for my GCSE’s. I could hear giggling and then one of the girls stood up and did a silly Bollywood dance over to me. Then she ran away saying: “I think she’s wearing curry perfume!
“I just got up and left. Thank goodness they didn’t follow me. I told my mum and I was very upset. She told me I have to hold my head up high and be proud of who I am. She said if anything like that happened again we would go to the police.”
Up until then I had been having a nice time here but since that happened I have felt like I don’t fit in and I’m terrified of bumping into those girls again. 
For the most part people from other countries we spoke to have not experienced any severe racism and are very happy. However, PSNI are concerned that there are others who suffer in silence, too frightened to report racist attacks.
Headliners also interviewed Leonia, a 15 year old Polish girl who has lived here for four years. She has no experience of racism but has had her share of difficulties settling in here.
We asked Leonia what she thinks causes racism.
She didn’t hesitate to say: “A lack of education, if people don’t know anything about the culture of the other person then they find it really hard to accept and they say ‘you’re a weirdo because you are different than me.’ I think if they knew something about the culture and saw the differences then it might be different. If I was a victim of a racist attack I would definitely tell someone like friends or a teacher because then they can help you.”
About this article
This story was written by Aine (17)
