Islamophobic hate crimes skyrocket in England, Wales, official figures reveal
LONDON (AA) – Islamophobic hate crimes in England and Wales skyrocketed last year, according to statistics revealed on Thursday.
Muslims became the most targeted religious group last year, according to the Home Office figures.
The number of religious hate crimes recorded by police and targeting Muslims was 3,459 in the year ending March 2022, showing a 42% increase.
The number of hate crimes against Jewish people was 1,919 in a year, up 23% from the previous year, making them the second most targeted religious group.
Hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales jumped 26% – the biggest increase since the year ending March 2017. According to government figures, there were 155,841 hate crimes on record.
The majority of hate crimes were racially motivated, accounting for over two-thirds of all such offenses (70%; 109,843 offenses).
The racially motivated hate crimes increased by 19%.
Religious hate crimes increased by 37% to 8,730 offenses from 6,383.
Disability hate crimes increased by 43% from 9,945 to 14,242. This was the largest percentage annual increase seen since the year ending March 2017.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
