United Kingdom

In 2024/25, the Home Office provided up to £50.9 million to protect faith communities.

The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments, and community sites. In response to the conflict in the Middle East and reports of increased incidents of anti-Semitism in the UK, the JCPS Grant was increased from £15 million to £18 million per year for 2023/24 and 2024/25. The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant from 2024/25 to 2027/28.

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides protective security measures to mosques and associated Muslim faith community centres. Protective security measures are also available to Muslim faith schools. £29.4 million of funding was available for 2024/25. Up to £29.4 million per year will be made available for protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools from 2024/25 to 2027/28.

The £3.5 million Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme continues to provide physical protective security measures to places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths in England and Wales that are particularly vulnerable to religiously or racially motivated hate crime.

Scotland

In November 2023, the Scottish Government published the Hate Crime Strategy Delivery Plan, which sets out the strategic priorities for tackling hate crime in Scotland until April 2026. It provides a vision for a Scotland where everyone lives free from hatred and prejudice and where communities are empowered, inclusive, and safe.
    
The Strategy was developed in partnership with organizations with expertise in tackling prejudice, building cohesive communities, and advancing human rights. Importantly, it was informed by communities with lived experience of hate crime. The Delivery Plan includes actions to ensure improved support for victims of hate crime, and improve data and evidence on hate crime. and develop effective approaches to preventing hate crime and promoting community cohesion.

Notable case:
         
On 29 July 2024, a 17-year-old male entered a children’s dance class in Southport and violently attacked those taking part. Tragically, three young girls were murdered, and others were injured.

The British public was understandably shocked and appalled by the brutal attack. Misinformation and disinformation was spread online, and inaccurate claims about the suspect’s nationality, religion, and immigration status, as well as unfounded speculation about his motive. This was followed by protest and disorder in Southport, which spread around the country. Initial violence targeted the police and included a violent attack on a local Mosque and its inhabitants.

In the days that followed, protests and violence spread, aimed primarily at migrants and targeted hotels housing asylum seekers. The widespread violence included attempts to set fire to hotels, and violent gangs targeted people from minority ethnic communities.

On 19 August, the Prime Minister declared that the disorder was ‘intolerable and racist’. He made clear that justice will be comprehensive and swift for those who used or incited violence.

Two weeks after the murders, on 13 August, police updated that they had arrested 1,024 people and 575 had already been charged with a range of offences. Courts sat in special ‘out of hours’ sittings to deal with the caseload. Prosecution proceedings were still ongoing at the end of 2024. An Insight Report in the House of Commons Library said: 
“This was the most significant disorder in the UK since the 2011 riots, in which at least 4,000 people were arrested (within one month of the event) and 1,984 prosecuted (within two months).

Amongst the convictions were offences for arson with intent to endanger life, rioting, and encouraging the violence through online posts.