UN committee concerned about repeated acts of racism and xenophobia in Britain
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is concerned about the recurrence of acts of racism and xenophobia in Britain against ethnic and religious minorities, the agency said in the conclusions of its report.
‘The Committee expressed concern at the persistence of hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms, as well as by politicians and public figures. The Committee was particularly concerned about repeated acts of racism and violence against ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers by individuals and groups of extreme right-wing extremists and supporters of white supremacy, including violent acts committed in late July and early August 2024,’ the document said.
UN experts called on Britain to take comprehensive measures to combat statements inciting racist hatred and xenophobic rhetoric, including from political and public figures. He stressed the need for thorough investigations and harsh penalties for racially motivated hate crimes, as well as effective remedies for victims and their families.
In late July, mass protests erupted in many UK cities after a 17-year-old attacked children with a knife in Southport. At the time, three children were killed and several other children and two adults were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The protests turned into clashes with police and riots after rumours that the perpetrator of the attack was a refugee. It was later learnt that the attacker was born into a migrant family from Rwanda. Dozens of police officers were injured in riots organised by supporters of far-right groups. More than a thousand people were detained and hundreds of charges were brought. A number of British media outlets claimed that Russia was allegedly involved in fuelling the protests. The Russian Embassy in London denied all such accusations.
Against the backdrop of the unrest, the UK authorities convened the COBRA emergency government committee three times. The country’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to increase police presence on the streets of British cities, to speed up criminal proceedings, as well as to prosecute those responsible for inciting riots on social networks. The Ministry of Justice said it had freed up an additional 500 prison places and deployed 6,000 specialised police officers to tackle violence.