Community Policy Forum’s Statement to the UN Human Rights Committee

ICCPR 140th Session

NGO Formal Briefing for States Parties under Review

A Statement from Community Policy Forum

11th March 2024

Over the past several years, the UK Government has been eroding human rights protections across all areas of public life. They have justified this erosion to the public through the demonisation of vulnerable minority groups. In particular, they have spent considerable effort portraying refugees, prisoners, Muslims, and other groups as ‘undeserving’ and unfairly taking advantage of the UK’s generosity for their own nefarious ends and to the detriment of the UK public. Creating demonised classes of people that are outside of human rights protections destroys the principle of universality that is the foundation of human rights frameworks.

The Rwanda Bill is but the most recent in a series of immigration legislation that contradicts the UK’s international obligations and creates a two-tier system of those entitled to human rights protections. Meanwhile, the expansion and increasing use of nationality deprivation powers and closed material procedures are in further conflict with the UK’s human rights obligations. These powers are used arbitrarily and without sufficient judicial safeguards protecting against statelessness and ensuring fair proceedings. Moreover, the character and often political application of these powers is inherently discriminatory against Muslim and migrant communities, thus creating a hierarchy of citizenship. While the UK Government frustrates calls for accurate data on the use of these powers, the data that is available indicates that the securitisation and public vilification of Muslim communities makes them unique targets for these powers.

At the same time, the Government continues to pass legislation specifically designed to clamp down on protests and curtail the free speech of those that oppose its policy agendas. In recent months, the use of these powers and their damage has been particularly felt in relation to pro-Palestinian advocacy, with activists being caught up in the counter-terror apparatus, arrested, and demonised by Government officials as ‘extremists’ and ‘Islamists’ participating in ‘hate marches’.

Ultimately, the UK’s human rights situation is at crisis point with virtually every article under the ICCPR being systematically undermined.

Read our submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the UK’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):