January 29, 2023
2 mins read

UN experts say UK racism is “institutional, systemic”

Ugandan expert Catherine Namakula, who chairs the UN working group, called for accessible, independent and effective complaint mechanisms to address racism…reports Asian Lite News

Racism is “structural, institutional, and systemic” in Britain, a group of United Nations experts concluded on Friday, warning that people of African descent were witnessing the “erosion of their fundamental rights.”

Public spending cuts have exacerbated racial discrimination and intolerance, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said following an official visit to Britain.

“We have serious concerns about impunity and the failure to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, deaths in police custody, ‘joint enterprise’ convictions, and the dehumanising nature of the stop and (strip) search” police tactic, they said.

The five-member group is mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to report to the UN’s top rights body. The experts are unpaid and do not speak for the UN.

The group said it had documented the “trauma” felt by people of African descent who were suffering racial discrimination and injustice in Britain.

“A decade of austerity measures in the UK had exacerbated racism, racial discrimination and other intolerance people of African descent encounter, which had an adverse impact on their fundamental rights,” they found.

They said people of African descent felt public institutions and the private sector both perpetuated racial hierarchies.

“Racialised acts targeting people of African descent have remained steadfast, and the experience is similar across different parts of the UK,” the experts said, after visiting London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol.

“They are victimised and have no assurance of effective redress from authorities or the justice system.”

In October, a report by a top UK lawyer and the University of Manchester said it found evidence of “institutional racism” in the justice system in England and Wales, particularly in the treatment of black and Asian defendants.

The UN experts welcomed “emerging efforts towards reparation for the legacies of the trade and trafficking in enslaved Africans.”

They encouraged the British government to do more to ensure the “rehabilitation, restoration and reconciliation of the state with its people.”

In what became known as the Windrush scandal, it was revealed in 2017 that thousands of Britons of Caribbean origin, who arrived legally between 1948 and the early 1970s without needing documentation, had been wrongly caught up in new hardline policies targeting illegal immigrants.

Some were detained or deported.

On Thursday, British media reported that interior minister Suella Braverman had scrapped some reforms the government had promised to introduce in order to address the Windrush scandal.

Ugandan expert Catherine Namakula, who chairs the UN working group, called for accessible, independent and effective complaint mechanisms to address racism.

“Ensuring police accountability, fair trial guarantees for all persons, and redress to all persons affected by the Windrush scandal are imperative,” she said.

“Austerity to the peril of fundamental rights is a costly undertaking for the UK,” she added. The group will present its findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in September

ALSO READ-EU raises the alarm on soaring asylum requests from ‘safe’ countries

Previous Story

70-plus Indian startups show exit door to 21K techies

Next Story

Long queues at petrol pumps across Pakistan

Latest from -Top News

India, Namibia to Boost Ties During Modi Visit

This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Namibia, and the third-ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia….reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to

Quantum Leap Secures India’s Edge

The Minister said India has entered a new quantum era, set to transform future warfare….reports Asian Lite News India has taken a major leap in defence and cyber security by successfully demonstrating

India’s Growth Defies West Asia Tensions

The deepening crisis in West Asia, particularly between Israel and Iran, has had little to no visible impact on India’s economic trajectory or its export performance….reports Asian Lite News The limited trade

FM Sitharaman Embarks on Three-Nation Tour

She is leading the Indian delegation from the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance….reports Asian Lite News Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commenced her official visit to Spain, Portugal,
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Blistering heat hits Britain

London is forecast to be hotter than Dakhla in Western

Sunak summons university leaders over protests

A spokesman for the prime minister said Sunak expected university