Anti-Muslim Hate Incidents Reach Record Highs in London Amid Surge in Far-Right Threats

Incidents of anti-Muslim hate are soaring to record levels in London, with a six-fold increase recorded over the last five years. Last year saw the highest number of annual reported incidents in the capital on record, reaching 1,909. According to the British Muslim helpline Tell Mama, the figure for the whole of 2026 is expected to be even higher, having already climbed to 1,031 by the end of June. The number of such incidents more than doubled from 313 reported in 2021 to 818 in 2022 and has continued to rise since.

Tell Mama, which served as the government’s reporting service for 15 years, is calling on the Metropolitan and City of London police forces to strengthen their recording and prosecution of these crimes. Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama, stated that the sustained increase demonstrates the crisis is not temporary and could continue to worsen. She urged the government and law enforcement to deliver a "no-nonsense response."

"Behind every one of these figures is a Londoner who was made to feel unsafe simply because of their faith," Atta said, adding that the statistics highlight an "urgent need for robust counter-extremism strategies rather than political platitudes." Victims have reported enduring street-based aggression, xenophobic rhetoric, public harassment, and intimidation during prayers, alongside attacks on Islamic institutions and centres by far-right groups.

The surge in reported incidents coincides with an increase in far-right plots and planned attacks on mosques in London and across the UK. Last month, a 14-year-old boy faced charges linked to "extreme right-wing terrorism" for plotting an attack on two London mosques. This incident followed the arrest of 12 people over a suspected threat targeting an Islamic festival in Suffolk, eastern England, as well as the arrest of another man for assault outside a mosque in the East London neighbourhood of Leyton.

Data shows that the majority of these reported crimes occur within the borough of Westminster. Tell Mama has also pressed social media platforms and public bodies to take stronger action against online abuse, while UK mosques have received additional security funding to combat the rising risk of attacks.

Meanwhile, the UK is actively seeking solutions to address a growing trend of children being radicalised online by content that glorifies violence. A report by the Children's Commissioner for England revealed that at least 71 percent of children referred to the UK's Prevent anti-terrorism programme exhibited a fixation with violence and extremist behaviours without holding a clear ideology. Referrals involving children have increased over the past decade, climbing from 2,918 in 2016-17 to 4,715 in 2024-25, though nearly four in five referrals are closed without progressing further.

Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner, expressed concern that current processes risk missing vital interventions for children who are becoming intoxicated by extremism and violence.