The United Nations human rights chief has strongly criticised recent anti-immigrant violence in the United Kingdom, describing the unrest in Belfast and clashes with police in Southampton as “shocking” and warning against the spread of hate speech and incitement online.
Speaking in Geneva on Wednesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the growing hostility directed at immigrant communities and urged social media platforms to take greater responsibility for content that promotes hatred and violence.
“Dehumanisation of whole groups within a society is totally unacceptable and is frankly despicable,” Turk told reporters.
“The violence that comes out as a result in… both Northern Ireland and in Southampton was really shocking,” he added.
The violence in Belfast erupted after a serious knife attack allegedly carried out by a Sudanese national. Rioters set fire to vehicles and buildings, forcing several families to flee their homes. Authorities in Northern Ireland have accused far-right activists of fuelling tensions and spreading anti-immigrant narratives online.
Turk stressed that social media companies must do more to prevent the spread of harmful content.
“Providers” on social media platforms, he insisted, must “take the responsibility seriously that dehumanisation, hate speech, violence and incitement to violence is unacceptable”.
“We cannot tolerate this in today’s world… The polarisation that we see is shocking.”
The unrest comes amid heightened tensions across parts of the United Kingdom. In Southampton, demonstrators clashed with police earlier this month following public anger over the handling of the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a case that sparked widespread debate and protests.
Authorities said footage of the Belfast stabbing circulated rapidly on social media despite appeals from police and political leaders not to share the graphic video. Officials warned that the footage could retraumatise those affected and further inflame tensions.
According to reports, several social media accounts associated with anti-immigration movements reposted the video and used it to encourage protests against immigration policies.
Far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, widely known as Tommy Robinson, was among the first prominent figures to share footage of the attack online. The video reportedly generated a wave of xenophobic and racist responses across social media platforms.
The incident also attracted attention from billionaire Elon Musk, whose online engagement with reactions to the attack was cited in discussions about the spread of far-right narratives.
Immigration remains a highly divisive political issue in Britain and has contributed to growing support for hard-right political groups. The latest violence has renewed concerns about online radicalisation, hate speech, and the impact of social media on public order and community relations.
