Straw defends anti-racism record

Asylum seekers: Need protection from racial attacks

Home Secretary Jack Straw has defended the country's commitment to eliminating racism, after the UN said it was "deeply concerned" about the state of race relations in the UK.

Mr Straw said that while he shared concerns about the number of racist attacks against ethnic minorities, Britain's race relations record was better than in most other European countries.

I believe we have a record on race relations which is better than most European countries and those in Northern America

Jack Straw

A report from the UN committee that monitors racial discrimination said racism within the UK police force and other public bodies had led to serious shortcomings in the way racist incidents were investigated.

But Mr Straw criticised the UN for releasing a press notice on its findings before publishing the report, saying the move was "grossly lacking in courtesy".

"I am the last person to be remotely complacent about race relations. I regard the improvement of race relations and the development of a society where there is equality in terms of race, as literally my first priority," the home secretary told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.

Mr Straw: "Not complacent" about the UK's race problems

"I hope the committee understand that one of the reasons we have a rising number of reports of racist attacks is not because the number of attacks is going up, but because there is increasing confidence in the police that when attacks of that kind are reported, action will be taken."

The report also urged the UK Government to do more to protect asylum seekers from racial harassment and tackle high unemployment and school exclusion rates among ethnic minorities.

'Extensive legislation'

Mr Straw stressed that Britain was one of the only countries which had consistently met obligations to update the UN every two years on progress made towards eliminating racism since 1960.

Home Office officials told the committee last week that Britain had some of the most extensive anti-racism legislation in Europe.

Our country has a proud record on race relations and for providing a safe haven for those in genuine fear of persecution

Tory spokesman

At a meeting in Geneva, the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination acknowledged some of the government's efforts, praising measures to increase penalties for racially motivated crimes.

It also said the government's action plan, developed since the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, was a step in the right direction.

"We have worked very hard indeed to do that. We set up the Lawrence Inquiry, we have changed the law on racist attacks," said Mr Straw.

"Overall I believe we have a record on race relations which is better than most European countries and those in Northern America."

Conservatives also criticised the committee, saying it was not the UN's job to lecture the UK on how to run its affairs.

"Our country has a proud record on race relations and for providing a safe haven for those in genuine fear of persecution," a Tory spokesman said.

'Tinder boxes'

"The main threat to that is the systematic abuse of our asylum system by those who perceive Britain to be a soft touch."

Asylum seekers entering the UK have often been the target of violence from locals who believe refugees should not be housed in their towns.

Last year, a council leader in Kent warned that Britain's coastal towns were becoming "tinder boxes" which could explode into violence - because of the number of asylum seekers placed there.

Human rights group Liberty and anti-racist body the 1990 Trust were part of a delegation of British organisations which made submissions to the committee.

Chitra Karve, of Liberty, said she hoped its final conclusions, to be released on Friday, would also deal with the issues of deaths in custody, treatment of asylum seekers and access to legal services.

"The 28 organisations involved in this project all believe that there is a long way to go before there is equality of treatment for ethnic minorities in the UK," she said.