The horrific stabbing incident in Belfast this week, as well as other extensively reported crimes elsewhere in the United Kingdom, such as last year’s murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton, have been instrumentalised to whip up an unacceptable, often violent backlash against people purely because of their nationality or their skin colour.
I welcome that both national and regional authorities have expressed their clear condemnation, and have committed to taking measures to address online amplification of racist and violent rhetoric. This should include steps to ensure social media platforms take responsibility for countering hate speech, as well as enhancing oversight.
I also call on politicians, media and others in positions of influence to act responsibly and to ensure that their contributions to the public debate aim to diffuse tension, rather than to stoke division.
I am concerned that these heinous crimes are being misused to call into question non-discrimination and other human rights protections. These are a cornerstone of democratic societies, and chipping away at them would make everyone in the UK more unsafe.
I will continue to follow closely the evolving situation in the United Kingdom.