The Home Office provided a record £66 million in emergency security funding for mosques and related community sites across the UK. This temporary measure was implemented after violent disorder spread following the 2024 Southport attacks.
Exclusive figures obtained by the Guardian also show that approximately £41 million in security funding was issued for mosques and related community sites for the year from April 2025-26, as part of the protective security scheme.
Akeela Ahmed, chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, which partners with the government to monitor anti-Muslim hatred, stated that these figures reflect a rise in anti-Muslim hostility. The trust reported in July that one mosque in Britain was attacked every five days over the past year.
The government launched a security scheme for places of worship in 2016 and a dedicated scheme for mosques and faith schools in 2023. Security funding for mosques, Islamic faith schools, and associated sites increased from £73,147 in 2016-17 to about £41 million in 2025-26.
Shaista Gohir, chief executive of Muslim Women’s Network UK, suggested that while the figures create an impression of substantial action, the government's response remains limited compared to the scale of the problem. The Home Office stated it is working to process all applications for security funding as quickly as possible.