How to Report Discrimination or Harassment as a Student in the EU

Step 1: Use your university's internal procedure

Every university runs its own complaint or misconduct process, usually handled by a student conduct office, ombudsperson, or equality and diversity unit. Check your student handbook or intranet for the exact procedure name and how to start it.

Before you file, write down what happened: date, time, location, people involved, and any witnesses. Keep messages, emails, or photos as evidence. Many universities let you make an informal disclosure first, but a full investigation usually needs your name attached to the complaint.

Outcomes vary with how serious the case is. Universities often try mediation or an informal resolution first for lower-level conflicts, and reserve formal outcomes such as a written warning, mandatory training for the other party, or in serious cases suspension or expulsion, for cases that go through a full investigation.

Step 2: Know your rights under EU law

Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights bans discrimination based on sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political opinion, disability, age, or sexual orientation. Two directives put this into practice in education and public life: the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) bans discrimination based on race or ethnic origin, and the Employment Equality Framework Directive (2000/78/EC) covers religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation. Most EU member states extend these protections into national education law.

Step 3: Escalate to your national equality body

If your university does not resolve the complaint, or you want an independent view, take it to your national equality body. These bodies belong to Equinet , a network of 46 equality bodies from 34 European countries, and most run a free complaints process for individuals. Examples include the Défenseur des Droits in France, the Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes in Germany, and the Defensor del Pueblo in Spain. Use the Equinet directory to find the body for your country.

Step 4: EU-level routes for systemic issues

For breaches of EU law that your national body cannot resolve, or for issues affecting many students rather than a single incident, you can raise a complaint with the European Commission or petition the European Parliament. These routes move slowly and suit policy-level or cross-border issues better than one incident, so use them alongside national options, not instead of them.

Typical timelines

Most universities set a target response time for acknowledging a complaint, often a set number of working days, published in your student handbook or conduct policy. Ask for this timeline in writing when you file, and follow up in writing if it passes without a response, since a written record helps if you need to escalate later.

Support during the process

You do not have to go through a complaint alone. Student union welfare officers, free legal advice clinics run by some universities, and university counselling services can support you while a complaint is open. If the incident happens during an Erasmus+ exchange or placement abroad, contact your host university's international office alongside your home university, since both may need to be involved.

Confidentiality and your data

Under EU data protection law (GDPR), your complaint and any personal data you share must be processed lawfully and shared only with people who need it to handle your case. Ask your university how long it keeps complaint records and who can access them before you file, especially if you want to limit who at the university knows about your case. You have the right to ask what data your university holds about your complaint and to request corrections if any of it is inaccurate.

Harassment specifically

Sexual harassment and hate-based harassment fall under both your university's conduct code and national criminal or civil law in most European countries. If an incident involves threats, physical contact, or stalking, report to campus security or the police as well as your university, since criminal harassment sits outside your university's authority to resolve on its own.

Practical steps checklist

1. Write down what happened while it is fresh, including dates, names, and witnesses.
2. Report to your course leader, personal tutor, or your university's named equality contact.
3. File a formal complaint through your university's conduct or grievance procedure if the informal route does not fix things.
4. Contact your national equality body through the Equinet directory if the university process stalls or you want independent advice.
5. Contact the police directly for anything involving violence, threats, or stalking.