Under the Equality Act 2010, race is a protected characteristic, and you must not therefore be discriminated against because of your race.
Race can mean your colour, or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality. For example, you may have Chinese national origins and be living in Britain with a British passport.
Race also covers ethnic and racial groups. This means a group of people who all share the same protected characteristic of ethnicity or race. A racial group can be made up of two or more distinct racial groups, for example black Britons, British Asians, British Sikhs, British Jews, Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers.
You may be discriminated against because of one or more aspects of your race, for example people born in Britain to Jewish parents could be discriminated against because they are British citizens, and/or because of their Jewish heritage – either is unlawful.
A difference in treatment may be lawful in employment situations if: