Racial and religious hate crimes at record high in England and Wales, data shows
Summary
Hate crimes based on race and religion have reached their highest levels in England and Wales, with attacks on Muslims and Jewish people both rising. The British Muslim Trust reports that attacks on mosques are becoming more severe and are increasingly targeting the people inside rather than just the buildings.Key Facts
- There were 146,825 hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales for the year ending March 2026, a 7% increase from the previous year.
- Hate crimes against Muslims increased by 15%, rising from 4,479 to 5,132 offenses.
- Antisemitic hate crimes also rose by 10%, from 2,874 to 3,162 offenses.
- Religious hate crimes (excluding London’s Metropolitan Police data) reached a record annual total of 8,214 since records began in 2012.
- The British Muslim Trust recorded 78 incidents involving 64 mosques between July 2025 and July 2026, about one incident every five days.
- More than 60% of mosque-related hate incidents since November 2025 were of higher severity, including threats, violence, and arson.
- The rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes corresponded with events such as protests in September 2025 and the war outbreak between the US and Iran in March.
- The Community Security Trust reported antisemitic hate crimes remain very high, with 2,003 offenses recorded (excluding Met data), close to the highest level on record.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
