UN committee echoes Quaker concerns over racism in the UK

Quakers in Britain submitted evidence on the lack of UK progress on racism to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in July.

Since then, the UK has held a general election marked by anti-migrant rhetoric and suffered five days of violent racist rioting in August.

In its first review of the UK in eight years, released last Friday, CERD said the UK should curb racist hate speech by politicians and public figures although it refused to specify individuals.

The UK should repeal immigration laws which discriminate against migrants and limits their human rights, CERD's report said.

In line with Quaker evidence, CERD called for the suspension of the “Prevent Duty" and for a review of laws which endanger peaceful assembly.

Britain should consider making a formal apology for chattel enslavement, measures to address their lasting consequences and commit to reparations, CERD said.

As Quakers suggested, CERD called for UK school curricula to include the history of colonialism, trafficking in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement in the British Empire.

The disproportionate use of school exclusions for ethnic minority children, as well as the racist use of stop and search by police, should be properly addressed, the committee found.

At a global level, the Quaker United Nations Office is providing evidence on xenophobia, migration and racism to CERD and the UN Committee on Migrant Workers.