The use of stop and search powers by the PSNI has "disproportionately" affected minority ethnic communities in the last year, according to Amnesty International.
There was a 4% rise in the use of stop and search by police in Northern Ireland last year.
The human rights organisation also said that the powers had been used frequently against children, with 2,500 stop and search incidents involving young people.
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In total, between April last year and March this year, 23,650 people were stopped and searched.
Six percent of those stops resulted in an arrest.
Amnesty said that 1,291 stops - 5.5% of the total - were of those from minority ethnic backgrounds, despite making up just 3.4% of the total population according to the 2021 census.
The organisation said that Irish Travellers were the ethnic group most disproportionately searched by the PSNI, accounting for 355 stops - 2.7% of the overall figure - despite making up just 0.1% of the Northern Ireland population.
Children aged between 13 to 17 years make up only 6% of the population but accounted for almost 11% of all stop and searches too.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Director, said: "If you are from a minoritised ethnic community, you are almost twice as likely to be stopped and searched by the PSNI than if you are from the white majority community.
"The police need to explain why, year after year, this continues to the case.
"Black and minority ethnic people in Northern Ireland tell us they feel over-policed, yet under-protected when they themselves are victims of racist hate crime.
"The use of stop and search on children is also worrying. There were more than 2,500 stops of children under these powers last year, including children aged 12 years and younger.
"Yet fewer than 3% of these searches resulted in arrest, suggesting the vast majority of stops were unnecessary.
"Every groundless stop and search can leave a long-lasting negative impact on community relations as well as on the individuals themselves."
In response the PSNI contacted Belfast Live. Chief Superintendent Melanie Jones said: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is fully committed to ensuring the fair, effective and legitimate use of stop and search powers.
"These are vital in helping us prevent, detect and investigate crime and an important power to help us protect communities throughout Northern Ireland and to keep everyone safe.
"We do not 'target' individuals or ethnic groups. These powers are only used when deemed appropriate by the individual officers who are driven by reports from members of the public and by information relating to specific crimes or crime trends. There are clear legal and operational guidelines which officers must comply with for every search.
"We are acutely aware that stop and search is a sensitive issue for our communities and I can assure the public we have processes in place to ensure that stop and search is used effectively and proportionately.
"We also continually review our practices and training and have a number of governance groups to ensure police powers, including stop and search, are being used fairly and effectively. Regular updates are provided in relation to stop and search to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, who hold us to account in terms of the use of these and other powers.
"We are continually seeking to improve and recognise the benefits of detailed data to build our understanding of the use of this power. We have recently begun further work with stakeholders including the Northern Ireland Policing Board to improve how we record and monitor the community background of those we stop and search."
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