'Sustained escalation' of anti-Muslim hate reported in London, charity warns

A "sustained escalation" of anti-Muslim hate and prejudice has been reported in London by a charity, with more incidents in the first six months of 2026 than in all of 2023.

According to data from Tell Mama, there were 1,031 hate and prejudice incidents reported to the charity in the capital from January to the end of June this year.

That exceeds the annual total of 1,028 in London in 2023, the charity noted. It also said there were 313 reports in 2021, more than doubling to 818 in 2022, and rising each year since, reaching a record 1,909 last year.

Iman Atta, director at Tell Mama, said that "what is most alarming is the trajectory: from just over 300 reports in 2021 to nearly 1,100 in the first half of this year alone".

"A worrying rise in repeat victimisation and heightened levels of targeted anger are leaving victims with a fractured sense of personal safety," she said, "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."

It comes after other charities reported a similar spike: In July, the British Muslim Trust, also recording anti-Muslim hatred, said it had noted 70 attacks at Muslim places of worship across the UK in 12 months, including vandalism and intimidation.

It also follows the Unite the Kingdom rally in London this May, where far-right activist Tommy Robinson said he would "stop Islam" if prime minister and added: "It's time for many Muslims to leave this country."

Responding to Tell Mama's report, a spokesperson for mayor Sir Sadiq Khan 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."

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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 Home Office spokesperson added: "Muslims across the UK face appalling levels of religious hate crime.

"We want all faith communities to be safe and to feel safe. That's why we are providing record funding up to £77.4 million to security schemes for faith communities in 2026/27. This includes up to £40 million for protective security for Muslim communities."

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Sustained escalation' of anti-Muslim hate reported in London, charity warns