A record £66m of emergency Home Office security funding was issued for UK mosques and related community sites after violent disorder followed the 2024 Southport attacks, according to figures obtained by the Guardian.
Key facts
- The Home Office issued a record £66m in emergency security funding for mosques and related community sites.
- The funding followed violent disorder that spread after the Southport attacks in 2024.
- A further record of about £41m in security funding was issued for the year from April 2025 to 2026.
- The £41m formed part of the protective security scheme.
- The government's anti-Islamophobia partner said the figures highlight the hostility Muslims face.
A record £66m of emergency security funding was issued by the Home Office for mosques and related community sites in the UK after violent disorder spread in the aftermath of the Southport attacks in 2024, according to figures obtained by the Guardian.
The Guardian reported that the exclusive figures also reveal a record of about £41m of security funding was issued for mosques and related community sites for the year from April 2025 to 2026. That sum was provided as part of the protective security scheme.
The scale of the funding highlights the hostility that Muslims face, the government’s anti-Islamophobia partner said, according to the Guardian’s reporting.
The emergency funding was triggered by the wave of unrest that followed the Southport attacks in 2024, a period during which community sites including mosques sought heightened protection.
Both the £66m emergency sum and the roughly £41m issued for the 2025-26 year were described by the Guardian as record amounts, indicating a significant increase in the resources directed toward securing these sites.
Why it matters
The record funding reflects concerns about the safety of Muslim communities and religious sites in the UK following the disorder that spread after the Southport attacks. It signals the scale of the government's response to threats faced by mosques and related community centres.
Frequently asked questions
How much emergency security funding was issued for mosques?
According to the Guardian, the Home Office issued a record £66m in emergency security funding for mosques and related community sites after the Southport disorder in 2024.
What prompted the emergency funding?
The funding followed violent disorder that spread in the aftermath of the Southport attacks in 2024.
How much additional funding was provided for 2025-26?
About £41m of security funding was issued for mosques and related community sites for the year from April 2025 to 2026, as part of the protective security scheme, according to the Guardian.