The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is concerned about the recurrence of acts of racism and xenophobia in the UK against ethnic and religious minorities, the agency’s report concluded.
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“The Committee expressed concern about ongoing hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms and by politicians and public figures. The Committee was particularly concerned about recurring acts of racism and violence against ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers perpetrated by individuals and groups of far-right extremists and white supremacists, including violent acts committed in late July and early August 2024,” the document said.
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UN experts have called on the UK to take comprehensive action to combat racist hate speech and xenophobic rhetoric, including from political and public figures. He stressed the need for thorough investigations and severe penalties for racial hate crimes, as well as effective remedies for victims and their families.
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At the end of July, mass protests broke out in many UK cities after a 17-year-old teenager attacked children with a knife in Southport. Then three children died, several more children and two adults were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
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The protests escalated into clashes with police and riots after rumors that the perpetrator of the attack was a refugee. It later became known that the attacker was born into a family of migrants from Rwanda. Dozens of police officers were injured during riots organized by supporters of far-right groups. More than a thousand people were detained and hundreds of charges were brought.
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Amid the unrest, the UK government convened the government’s emergency COBRA committee three times. Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to increase police presence on the streets of British cities, speed up criminal proceedings, and prosecute those responsible for inciting unrest on social networks. The Ministry of Justice reported that to counter the violence, an additional 500 places in prisons were freed up and 6 thousand employees of specialized police departments were deployed.
