A study from a group representing migrants in Northern Ireland says ethnic minorities have become the new victims of attack since the end of the Troubles.
The group says government policy must change if the rights of migrants are to be protected.
There were almost 800 racist crimes in Northern Ireland last year - most involving assault and criminal damage.
In the most serious incident, 120 Romanians were forced out of their homes in Belfast and had to take refuge in a local church hall.
Patrick Yu, from the Council for Ethnic Minorities, said racism is on the verge of overtaking sectarianism.
He said the IRA ceasefire in 1994 and the peace process marked the start of a growing spiral of violence against ethnic minorities.
In order to address this growing racism he said the authorities need to shift the focus from non-discrimination to the protection of human rights and equality.
