A delegation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited the United Kingdom (UK) from 13 to 21 November 2023 as the first step in the preparation of a monitoring report. The visit was preceded by online meetings on 7 and 9 November 2023. During the visit, ECRI’s delegation gathered information on effective equality and access to rights; hate speech and hate-motivated violence; and integration and inclusion.

The delegation held meetings with representatives of the central Government of the United Kingdom, as well as with representatives of the Governments of Wales and Scotland, and with the civil service of Northern Ireland, all of which hold devolved competencies of relevance to ECRI.

ECRI further met with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is the British equality body, as well as with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI). It also met with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Human Rights Commission and with civil society representatives from all parts of the UK.  

Members of ECRI’s delegation in the UK visited a secondary school in Leicester and Derby respectively and met with local authorities in these locations, including the Youth Mayor of Derby.

Following this visit, ECRI will adopt a report in 2024 in which it will make a new set of recommendations on measures to be taken by the authorities to address racism and intolerance in the country. The implementation of two priority recommendations will be reviewed in two years’ time after publication of the report as part of ECRI’s interim follow-up procedure.

In its 2016 report on the UK, ECRI encouraged the authorities to address the issue of bullying on LGBTI grounds in schools. It also recommended that a refugee integration strategy be developed to assist refugees, in particular as concerns housing, employment, access to welfare and learning English. 

For more information on previous ECRI reports on the United Kingdom, please visit ECRI’s country monitoring page.