Hundreds of mosques in England are waiting for security funding amid calls to expedite the protection of places of worship
Hundreds of mosques in England are waiting for security funding amid calls to expedite the protection of places of worship
Recent data has revealed that 311 mosques in England are still awaiting decisions on their applications for government funding to enhance their security measures, amidst criticisms from Islamic institutions over the prolonged processing times of the applications and calls to reform the funding mechanism.
According to data obtained by the “Haven” platform, 510 mosques submitted applications to the “Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme” of the UK Home Office between July 2024 and November 2025, of which 199 were approved, while 311 applications remain under review without any formal rejections recorded during the mentioned period.
The program allocates £40 million annually to mosques and community centers to fund measures including surveillance cameras, alarm systems, fences, gates, and security personnel.
The disclosure of the data came after nine months of efforts to obtain it, concluding with the intervention of the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, which compelled the Home Office to disclose the information after initially refusing to do so citing reasons related to national security and the potential targeting of specific sites.
The figures sparked criticism from political figures and Islamic institutions, with Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy warning that delays in funding amid increasing threats may leave mosques inadequately protected, emphasizing that safeguarding places of worship is a fundamental responsibility of the government.
For its part, the Muslim Council of Britain called for an urgent and independent review of the funding program, pointing to recent attacks, threats, and hate incidents against mosques and Muslims. Some mosques reported waiting up to two years for a response and having to rely on congregants’ donations to fund protection measures.
Islamic institutions demanded the establishment of a dedicated channel to monitor mosque applications, expedite the processing of pending cases, and publish more transparent data regarding the number of applications, review durations, and types of support provided, to ensure necessary protection for places of worship and congregants.
