Two in five Britons think Muslims cannot integrate in UK, poll finds

A new report by Sara Khan, the UK's former counter-extremism commissioner, reveals that two in five Britons (42%) think Muslims cannot integrate into British society, despite 85% of Muslims expressing support for integration. The report, based on a poll of 4,094 adults conducted by More in Common this spring, also found that 55% of Britons believe national identity is disappearing due to diversity. Nearly a third (31%) are open to the view that non-white people can never be as British as white people.

Khan warned that the window for effective action by the incoming prime minister is "vanishingly small," describing the situation as a structural crisis resulting from chronic erosion of trust in institutions. Co-authored by Dr. Matthew Godwin, the report notes that 61% of respondents think the social contract between the public and institutions has broken down, while 28% believe individuals should ignore rules that hinder change.

The poll indicates that 33% of Britons support remigration, and 42% believe Muslims cannot integrate — rising to 71% among Reform UK supporters. Researchers logged 1,784 far-right offline events and 225 Islamist events over 12 months. Although 80% of Britons say political violence is never acceptable, 29% of those aged 18–34 consider it acceptable.

Among British Muslims, 85% said they feel free to practice their religion, and 88% reported mixing comfortably with other faiths. However, 64% believe white people are working against Muslims, 56% think Jewish people are, and 27% believe the Holocaust was invented or exaggerated.

Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama, which supports victims of anti-Muslim hate, said the findings are deeply troubling. She warned that remigration language is being used by far-right groups to suggest British Muslims should be part of removals, contradicting core values of the rule of law and fair play.