Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – Britain’s arms exports have almost doubled to £8.5 billion, fuelling wars and conflict across the world, a new report revealed today.
Research by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) found that arms deals in 2022 were at their highest level since records began.
The highest levels of exports were to countries with repressive regimes and poor human rights records, including £2.7bn to Qatar, £1.1bn to Saudi Arabia and £424 million to Turkey.
Small arms sales to the US are also highlighted as problematic due to a licence issued for 28,500 sniper rifles for a commercial end user, raising concerns they could contribute to gun violence or be smuggled to Central America.
Emily Apple of CAAT said the report “gives a clear picture” of how Britain is “complicit in fuelling conflict around the world.”
She said: “Billions of pounds of arms are exported to dictatorial or near-dictatorial regimes that commit appalling human rights violations with a disturbing lack of transparency.
