The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.

On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).

The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.

The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.

The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.

The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.

The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.

On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).

The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.

The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.

The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.

The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.

The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.

On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).

The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.

The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.

The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.

The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of religious hatred. There is no hierarchy of hate, and protections under the law apply equally.

The Government is clear that the policing of hate crime must be carried out in accordance with the law. The Government’s non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility is intended to support understanding and consistency in identifying hostility directed at Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim and does not change the law.

The police are operationally independent of Government. The adoption of the definition of anti-Muslim hostility is a matter for Chief Constables. Any use by police forces of the definition must be consistent with equality and human rights legislation.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of religious hatred. There is no hierarchy of hate, and protections under the law apply equally.

The Government is clear that the policing of hate crime must be carried out in accordance with the law. The Government’s non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility is intended to support understanding and consistency in identifying hostility directed at Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim and does not change the law.

The police are operationally independent of Government. The adoption of the definition of anti-Muslim hostility is a matter for Chief Constables. Any use by police forces of the definition must be consistent with equality and human rights legislation.

Parliament uses an industry-standard web filtering and blocking solution across its Wi-Fi services, including visitor Wi-Fi. The system blocks categories of sites and content that are inappropriate for the parliamentary network environment, including pornographic material and sites intended to circumvent cyber security controls. The Parliamentary Digital Service does not control which websites are put into which category by the filtering service; this is an automated process conducted at an industry level. Parliament does not maintain a list of websites which cannot be accessed from its network, and any such list would be variable. PDS can unblock individual sites if they are assessed as safe and a specific request is made to them.

The Home Secretary has commissioned UK Research and Innovation to deliver this new programme of research, which will address evidence gaps in our understanding of the backgrounds, motivations, and drivers of group-based child sexual exploitation offending. We expect the programme of research to be a multi-year project, with individual research projects reporting through its duration. Further details will be announced in due course.

The Home Office is committed to countering extremism in all its forms where it divides communities and inflames tensions. Regardless of the worldview it draws from, if an ideology is causing harm by radicalising others into hatred, violence and extremism we will take action to prevent this and to safeguard susceptible individuals.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

It is our long-standing policy that we do not comment on individual cases.

I can advise you that following the refusal or cancellation of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) document; the customer may still apply for the appropriate UK visa. This allows for a full consideration of their circumstances and may provide an alternative avenue to travel.

On 9 December 2025, the Home Secretary published the draft Terms of Reference for the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs and asked the Chair to consult on them.

Following the consultation, the Chair will make recommendations to the Home Secretary. Final Terms of Reference will be agreed and published by 31 March 2026. The Home Secretary has been clear (in her Oral Statement of 9 December) that the inquiry will consider, explicitly, the background of offenders – including their ethnicity, religion and culture – and whether the authorities failed to properly investigate what happened out of a misplaced desire to protect community cohesion. The inquiry will act without fear or favour, identifying individual, institutional and systemic failure, inadequate organisational responses, and failures of leadership.

The Home Secretary has also commissioned new research from UK Research and Innovation to address longstanding gaps in our understanding of perpetrators’ backgrounds and motivations, including factors such as ethnicity and religion.

The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs is a statutory inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, with full powers to compel evidence.

The Home Secretary has published draft Terms of Reference, which include consideration of ethnicity, religion and culture. The Chair is currently consulting on these draft terms; however, the Home Secretary has made clear that the inclusion of ethnicity, religion and culture is not subject to change.

The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs is a statutory inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, with full powers to compel evidence.

The Home Secretary has published draft Terms of Reference, which include consideration of ethnicity, religion and culture. The Chair is currently consulting on these draft terms; however, the Home Secretary has made clear that the inclusion of ethnicity, religion and culture is not subject to change.

The Government does not publish information on how many Afghans who have been granted asylum in the UK have subsequently returned to Afghanistan for a holiday or to visit relatives.

Where an individual returns to their country of origin, this will usually indicate voluntary re-availment and may lead to revocation of refugee status under paragraph 339A(i)-(vi) or humanitarian protection under paragraph 339GA of the Immigration Rules. Cases are considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards in police training and leadership to help maintain public trust and confidence. That is why the Home Office continues to fund the College of Policing to deliver support to forces and improvements to leadership and training standards through the National Police Leadership Centre.

The College of Policing sets national guidance and standards for policing in England and Wales, which includes publishing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on hate crime. This APP provides guidance on how police should respond to hate crimes and promotes a proportionate and consistent approach that upholds the rights of victims and protects free speech.

While the College sets the overall framework, individual police forces are responsible for determining their own local delivery of training.

I am afraid I am absolutely not going to agree with that. It is going to be a matter for the new national inquiry, and I am not going to pre-empt that.

In the context relevant to the Home Office's responsibility for tackling terrorism, the terrorist threat we see today is more diverse and complex. The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, outlines that in the UK the primary domestic terrorist threat comes from Islamist terrorism, with the remainder driven by Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism.

The Working Group includes members from a cross-section of society, who have been selected for their technical expertise, experience and ability to deliver the objectives set out in the Terms of Reference.

Alongside drawing on their own expertise, the Working Group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences across the United Kingdom.

As noted in the Terms of Reference, the advice provided to the Government by the Group will be private. Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

The Working Group includes members from a cross-section of society, who have been selected for their technical expertise, experience and ability to deliver the objectives set out in the Terms of Reference.

Alongside drawing on their own expertise, the Working Group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences across the United Kingdom.

As noted in the Terms of Reference, the advice provided to the Government by the Group will be private. Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

Electoral registers are held locally in each local authority and not centrally. No demographic data is collected when people register or vote, so we are not able to provide statistics. The Electoral Commission provides some data on voter registration: Explore the data: Who is and isn't registered to vote? | Electoral Commission.

To vote in the United Kingdom, individuals must be registered and meet eligibility criteria based on age, nationality, and residence. Demographic and religious data are not part of the registration process. The Government is clear that everyone has a fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. We do not make assessments on the impact on freedom of religion or speech using electoral registrations or predicted population figures.

Everyone working for the Home Office must go through the national security vetting process (NSV) to be granted security clearance. This includes permanent and temporary staff and contractors.

All Civil Servants must adhere to the Civil Service code and values when carrying out their responsibilities and duties, including any Staff Network activity. Any breaches of the Civil Service code are addressed through relevant HR policies and processes. Additionally, Civil Servants must follow the guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants.