Elham Asaad Buaras
A landmark study has exposed widespread abuse, discrimination, and fear among Muslim women using Britain’s public transport, with many reporting they feel unsafe on trains, buses, and the London Underground.
Conducted by Muslim Census in partnership with Muslims in Rail, the research is the largest national investigation to date into Muslim experiences on public transport. It surveyed a representative sample of 1,155 Muslims across the UK between November 9 and 20, 2025.
The findings reveal that Muslim women are five times more likely to feel unsafe than women in the general population. The report shows that 45.3% of Muslim women feel unsafe while travelling, a stark contrast to the 8% of women nationwide who report similar feelings.
Furthermore, over a third of Muslim women (34.3%) have been subjected to Islamophobic or racist abuse, including verbal harassment, physical assault, having their hijabs pulled, and being filmed without consent.
“These experiences are not isolated incidents,” the report states. “They reflect a systemic issue affecting Muslim women across regions, transport types, and age groups.”
In response to safety concerns, 69.4% of Muslim women have altered their travel behaviour—avoiding certain times, modifying their clothing, or paying for taxis. Reporting rates remain critically low, with only 12.5% of incidents reported officially. Of those who did report, 69% felt their case would not be taken seriously.
Societal tensions significantly amplify these fears. During politically charged or far-right events, 96.3% of Muslim women feel less safe, and 90.7% change their travel plans. A pervasive lack of confidence in the system is clear, with 83.1% of all Muslim respondents believing that Islamophobic hate crimes are treated less seriously than other forms of hate crime.
A spokesperson for Muslims in Rail, a community-led network supporting Muslim professionals in the transport sector, said, “This research confirms what we have long suspected – that racist and Islamophobic hate crimes are widespread on our public transport.
“Muslim women are particularly vulnerable, and the situation appears to be deteriorating. No woman should commute in fear because of her identity or appearance. We urgently need transport authorities, police, and policymakers to take action to stop these crimes.”
The study emerges against a backdrop of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the UK. Muslims now account for 44% of all religiously motivated hate crime victims, despite comprising less than 7% of the population. Far-right activism, anti-immigration rhetoric, and online conspiracies have exacerbated tensions, particularly following events like the 2024 Southport murders and subsequent riots.
Since the onset of the war in Gaza in 2023, anti-Muslim hostility has surged, with attacks on mosques and refugee accommodations. Muslims protesting the conflict have often been publicly branded as “extremists,” while political mobilisation during the 2024 General Election was labelled as a “sectarian vote” by far-right actors.
In response, Muslim Census and Muslims in Rail are engaging with stakeholders, including Transport for London, Network Rail, and British Transport Police, to demand enhanced safety measures and mandatory anti-Islamophobia and bystander intervention training for all staff.
With nearly one in five Muslims using public transport daily, the report stresses that these safety concerns directly impact access to work, education, and social participation. It calls for coordinated action from transport operators, police, and policymakers to implement inclusive safety protocols.
“Public transport must be safe for everyone. Today, it is not,” the report concludes.
(Photo credit: Hicret/Pexels)
