British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced an additional £10 million in funding to protect Muslim communities and faith institutions across the United Kingdom, following a rise in hate crimes and a recent arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex.
Starmer made the announcement during a visit to Peacehaven Mosque, which was set on fire earlier this month in what police are treating as a hate crime. The blaze damaged the mosque’s entrance and a parked vehicle, though no injuries were reported. Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The new investment will expand the government’s Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, providing Muslim community centres, mosques, and faith schools with enhanced security measures such as CCTV, alarm systems, fencing, and trained security staff. It builds on £29.4 million already allocated this year to protect vulnerable places of worship.
“Britain is a proud and tolerant country,” Starmer said. “Attacks on any community are attacks on our entire nation and our values. This funding will provide Muslim communities with the protection they need and deserve, allowing them to live in peace and safety. I want a Britain built for all — and that means protecting places of worship from those who seek to divide us through hate and violence.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also condemned the East Sussex attack, describing it as “an appalling crime that could easily have led to an even more devastating outcome.” She said Britain’s commitment to religious freedom “must be defended,” adding that “violence and intimidation directed at any community or faith are attacks on us all.”
During his visit, Starmer met with mosque members and relatives of a worshipper who narrowly escaped the blaze but has since struggled with trauma. “We shouldn’t need to have security in places of worship, and it’s sad that we do,” Starmer told community members. “This funding reflects our responsibility to tackle hate crime and to stand in solidarity with all who are targeted.”
According to government data, anti-Muslim hate crimes rose by 19 per cent in the year ending March 2025, accounting for 44 per cent of all recorded religiously motivated offences.
Akeela Ahmed, chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, welcomed the announcement, saying it would offer much-needed reassurance. “Everyone deserves to live peacefully and without fear,” she said. “Sadly, too many members of our Muslim communities have seen their mosques vandalised or set on fire, and worshippers abused. This funding will help them feel safer and more protected.”
The government said the initiative is part of a broader effort to make Britain’s streets and communities safer, reaffirming that “hatred has no place in the UK.”