UN watchdog wants action on UK ‘racist acts and violence’

GENEVA: A United Nations committee voiced concern Friday about recurring racist violence in Britain, calling for measures to curb “racist hate speech” by politicians after recent anti-immigration riots.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) demanded thorough investigations into racist hate crimes, and strong penalties for the perpetrators.

“The committee expressed its concern about the persistence of hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms and by politicians and public figures,” it said in a statement.

“It was particularly concerned about recurring racist acts and violence against ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers by extremist far-right and white supremacist individuals and groups, including the violent acts committed in late July and early August 2024.”

More than a dozen English towns and cities saw unrest and riots over the summer, with officials accusing far-right elements of stirring up the disorder, which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.

The riots — the worst seen in Britain since 2011 — have led to more than a thousand arrests and hundreds of convictions.