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 opens world’s highest rail bridge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir and flagged off the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express to Srinagar, marking a historic moment

Sisi, MBZ cement ties

UAE and Egypt bolster ties through high-level talks in Abu Dhabi and a landmark cardiac care initiative delivering lifesaving treatment to rural communities The United Arab Emirates and Egypt reaffirmed their strong

‘UAE leads global fight against plastic waste’

UAE accelerates its fight against plastic pollution with a bold single-use plastic ban and expanded environmental policies to safeguard natural ecosystems for future generations The United Arab Emirates continues to lead the

70,000 Gaza kids starve

WFP warned that any further escalation of conflict could paralyse relief operations altogether, deepening the plight of civilians—especially children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies, the

Prayers on the Mount

The Day of Arafat, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage, witnessed a congregation of believers from around the world As the sun blazed overhead and temperatures climbed to a sweltering 41°C,
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Parliament hosts meeting on Balochistan crisis 

Among the most alarming trends noted was the sharp increase

UK inks deal with Nigeria to deter illegal migration

The Home Secretary and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK,