UN watchdog urges UK to tackle 'racist acts and violence'

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.

 'Xenophobic rhetoric'  

"In calling for action, the committee urged the United Kingdom to implement comprehensive measures to curb racist hate speech and xenophobic rhetoric, including from political and public figures," CERD said.

Gun Kut, the committee's country rapporteur for Britain, declined at a press conference to identify particular politicians.

Earlier this month, the UN's migration agency voiced its solidarity with the communities affected by the riots.

 Policing, justice concerns 

 CERD is composed of 18 independent experts tasked with monitoring how countries implement an international convention on eliminating racism.

The committee also expressed concern about the "disproportionate impact" on ethnic minorities of police stop-and-search practices, including strip searches.

It raised alarms over the use of "excessive and deadly force" by law enforcement which disproportionately affects "people of African descent and other ethnic minorities".