Saturday, August 27, 2016

UN condemns UK racism

UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said it was ‘seriously concerned’ about some British politicians’ rhetoric. Some British politicians’ “divisive, anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric” during the EU referendum campaign fuelled a surge in hate crimes immediately following the vote, a United Nations body has said. The report’s authors said they were concerned about “negative portrayal” of ethnic minority communities, immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees in British media. 

The UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said it was “seriously concerned” that British politicians whipped up hatred and then “failed to condemn” racist abuse during the campaign. Immediately following the referendum hate crimes surged by 42 per cent in England and Wales. Many areas that voted strongly for Leave also posted even higher results.

"The committee remains concerned that despite the recent increase in the reporting of hate crimes, the problem of underreporting persists, and the gap between reported cases and successful prosecution remains significant,” the report also added. “As a result, a large number of racist hate crimes seem to go unpunished.”

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