Profile: Suspicious? Racial profiling as institutional racism

Racial profiling is not merely misconduct on the part of individual police officers, but a symptom of deep-seated, institutional structures of racism. For many young people subject to racialisation, police stops without reasonable suspicion are part of everyday life. Racial profiling contributes massively to the social criminalisation of certain groups: the constant public visibility of police stops targeting specific groups reinforces racist attitudes and the image of the ‘criminal other’ within society.
This keynote presentation will shed light on the mechanisms behind racial profiling and analyse how this form of institutional racism directly impacts the educational setting. It will be demonstrated that the criminalisation of young people is not merely an external police matter, but fundamentally challenges the self-image and mission of educational institutions.
Here, the practical workshop aims to create a space for reflection for educational staff and to develop strategies that enable active discussion with pupils about this practice.
As is customary in the practical workshop ‘Educational Professionalism and Diversity Awareness in a Migration Society’, the topic will be explored together with practitioners and academics using a specific case study as a basis, and options for action will be developed collaboratively.
Dr Fatoş Atali-Timmer, a research associate at the Centre for Migration, Education and Cultural Studies (CMC) at the University of Oldenburg, will present the academic perspective in a short keynote talk.
Who is the practical workshop aimed at?
The event is aimed at staff working in educational settings, for example in schools, in social (counselling) work, and in youth and family support services.
Who is organising the practical workshop?
The practical workshop is organised by the Office for Immigration and Integration, Integration Services, of the City of Oldenburg in co-operation with the Centre for Migration, Education and Cultural Studies (CMC) at the University of Oldenburg.
Where and when will the practical workshop take place?

The event will take place on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, from 2 pm to 4 pm at the University of Oldenburg (Ammerländer Heerstraße 114–118). The venue will be announced in good time before the event. Please register by emailing praxiswerkstatt-migration@stadt-oldenburg.de