RSI gives evidence to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In August 2024, RSI gave evidence to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) ahead of its examination of the UK's compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

This was apt timing following the racist riots which occurred throughout the UK that month. In our statement to the Committee -- and in line with our submission – we highlighted the impact of racial discrimination on housing and businesses in Northern Ireland, as well as immigration authorities' misuse of search and document-checking powers in the Common Travel Area (CTA). 

We also raised concerns about the UK's expansive powers to arbitrarily deprive people of British UK citizenship on national security grounds, and how these powers have contributed to a racist, tiered system of citizenship rights in the UK. 

Lastly, we discussed the effects of the UK's Prevent programme on freedom of expression, association, and religion, and how the strategy disproportionately targets people from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, and, particularly, Muslims.

In its concluding observations, CERD echoed RSI's concerns about paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland instigating racist attacks and intimidating migrants out of housing and business opportunities. The Committee recommended that the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive take appropriate action against paramilitary groups and ensure those affected by discrimination can access justice. As the Committee recommended, RSI believes it is now imperative that the Northern Ireland Executive expedites a renewed Racial Equality Strategy in Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency.

CERD also called on the UK government to review its counter-terrorism strategies, including the Prevent programme, and refrain from discriminatory measures that enable authorities to racially profile people under the guise of countering terrorism. Similarly, the Committee reiterated RSI's recommendations which urged the UK government to ensure independent oversight of the programme.

For more information, please see RSI's submission to the Committee ahead of its 113th session, and CERD's concluding observations on the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.