Katie Hopkins: Now the United Nations has intervened

The UN has called on all EU countries to "take a firmer line" on racism and xenophobia in the wake of Katie Hopkins' comments about immigrants.

Releasing a statement on the UN Human Rights website, the organisation warned against "unrestrained anti-foreigner abuse, misinformation and distortion" and said that comments like Hopkins' have "skewed the response" to the crisis in the Mediterranean.

This is not only sapping compassion for the thousands of people fleeing conflict, human rights violations and economic deprivation who are drowning in the Mediterranean.

The nasty underbelly of racism that is characterizing the migration debate in an increasing number of EU countries, has skewed the EU response to the crisis, which... risks making the crisis even worse, and could sadly result in further massive loss of life.

• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN high commissioner for human rights

While explaining that he is an "unswerving advocate of freedom of expression", Zeid said Hopkins' statements in a Sun column, which included labelling migrants as "cockroaches" and likening them to a "novovirus", were "clearly inflammatory and unacceptable".

Zeid urged the Metropolitan Police to take seriously their investigation, launched following a complaint from the Society of Black Lawyers under the 1986 Public Order Act, to see whether her article amounts to incitement to racial hatred.

While migration and refugee issues are completely valid topics for public debate, it is imperative that migration policy decisions that affect people’s lives and fundamental human rights should be made on the basis of fact - not fiction, exaggeration or blatant xenophobia.

• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN high commissioner for human rights

Comment: Katie Hopkins has just written a piece so hateful that it might give Hitler pause – why was it published?

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