North Finchley among London areas warned of rising anti-Muslim hate crime

North Finchley residents were warned to stay indoors in August 2024 as rumours spread that anti-immigration riots could reach the area. No disturbances occurred, but the alert highlighted persistent fears among Muslim communities across London. New figures show those fears are now backed by record levels of reported hate crime.

Tell MAMA, a national monitoring service, recorded 1,909 anti-Muslim hate reports in London in 2025. That is the highest annual total since records began. In the first six months of 2026 alone, the organisation logged 1,031 reports in the capital. The data was obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service and published by MyLondon.

Sixfold increase since 2021

The 2025 figure represents a sixfold increase from 2021, when Tell MAMA recorded 300 reports in London. Iman Atta, the organisation’s director, said the rise is not a temporary spike but a sustained escalation. Atta told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Behind every one of these figures is a Londoner who was made to feel unsafe simply because of their faith."

Police-recorded anti-Muslim offences across England and Wales rose by 19% in the same period. Westminster emerged as a major hotspot for these crimes, according to Tell MAMA’s analysis. The trend has alarmed community leaders, who warn that online misinformation is fuelling hostility.

Mosque leaders report heightened security fears

In July 2026, a teenager was charged with allegedly planning terror attacks on two mosques in Sutton. Moin Uddin, a leader at Sutton Central Masjid, said the incident has forced the mosque to reconsider its approach to new visitors. Uddin told MyLondon: "We now have to think twice about who we let in."

A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said there is a palpable fear that sustained hate crime could escalate into more serious violence. The spokesperson told MyLondon: "Online disinformation and algorithm-driven toxic social media feeds are poisoning the minds of our young people."

Mayor allocates £16m to community safety

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has invested £16m in the Loved and Wanted campaign to support grassroots groups tackling hate crime. A spokesperson for the Mayor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Anti-Muslim hate has absolutely no place in London. The Mayor will continue to do everything possible to ensure Londoners of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome and safe."

The campaign brings together community organisations to promote diversity and counter intolerance. It is the largest investment of its kind by any London Mayor. Khan has also faced personal abuse, with analysis commissioned by the Greater London Authority showing almost 28,000 social media posts about him in 2025 contained Islamophobic phrases.

What happens next

Tell MAMA will continue to monitor and record anti-Muslim hate reports across London. The Mayor’s office has pledged to maintain funding for community safety programmes. Police forces in the capital are expected to increase patrols around mosques and other places of worship during religious festivals and periods of heightened tension.

“Behind every one of these figures is a Londoner who was made to feel unsafe simply because of their faith. 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.”

Iman Atta, Director of Tell MAMA