Anti-Muslim hate reports in London have surged, with more recorded in the first half of this year than in the whole of 2023, new figures show.
Monitoring organisation Tell Mama recorded 1,031 reports of anti-Muslim hate and prejudice in the capital between January and the end of June, compared with 1,028 across all of 2023.
The organisation described the figures as “alarming”, saying they point to a sustained escalation in hostility towards Muslims in London.
Year-on-year rise
Reports have risen year on year, climbing from 313 in 2021 to 818 in 2022 and reaching a record 1,909 last year — more than six times the number recorded four years earlier.
The organisation said that behind every report was “a Londoner who was made to feel unsafe simply because of their faith”.
The rise comes amid concern over the spread of anti-Muslim misinformation and far-right conspiracy theories online, including the so-called “Great Replacement” theory, alongside increasingly polarised political and media rhetoric.
Warnings and incidents
Tell Mama has warned that the proliferation of such material has pushed anti-Muslim propaganda in the UK into what it describes as uncharted territory.
Iman Atta, director at Tell Mama, said: “A worrying rise in repeat victimisation and heightened levels of targeted anger are leaving victims with a fractured sense of personal safety, highlighting the urgent need for robust counter-extremism strategies rather than political platitudes.
“This is not a temporary blip, it is a sustained escalation of anti-Muslim hate, and it demands a sustained and uncompromising no-nonsense response from our public institutions.”
Muslim women have been among those reporting hostility and abuse. Recent accounts include women having their hijabs pulled or ripped off, being verbally abused on public transport, and being harassed or filmed in public.
Context and response
The figures point to a steep longer-term rise in reports of anti-Muslim hate in the capital, with the 2026 total already well above levels recorded just a few years ago.
The increase comes amid a series of high-profile incidents involving anti-Muslim sentiment in London this year.
In May, a Unite the Kingdom rally organised by activist Tommy Robinson took place in central London and was criticised by one of the capital’s deputy mayors over instances of Islamophobia she said occurred at the event.
Some protesters also demonstrated outside Parliament, calling for the “removal of Islam”, while Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, reposted a video in which he said that, were he to become prime minister, he would “stop Islam”, adding: “It’s time for many Muslims to leave this country.”
In July, another organisation recording anti-Muslim hatred said it had noted 70 attacks at Muslim places of worship across the UK in the 12 months to July, including vandalism and intimidation.
The British Muslim Trust was appointed last year to receive investment from the Government’s Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund.
The trust brought together the Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust and analyses data to help identify the drivers behind a rise in anti-Muslim hatred.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “We will not tolerate attacks on the Muslim community. Hate crime in all its forms – including ongoing efforts to tackle racism, anti-Muslim hate crime, and other forms of hatred in the capital – remains a core policing priority.
“Our focus on tackling these hateful offenders is starting to work, and in the last 12 months the Met has increased positive outcomes – including arrests and charges – for anti-Muslim hate crime by 57%.”
A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: “Anti-Muslim hate has absolutely no place in London. The rise in attacks on Muslims in London and across the country is vile and the police have the mayor’s full support in taking a zero-tolerance approach.”
They said the mayor had invested “a record £16 million – more than any other mayor – to support grassroots community groups to stand up to hate and intolerance and fund services for victims of hate crime”.
