Anti-Muslim hostility 402/2026

FOI Reference: 402/2026

Request:

Background

On 9 March 2026 the UK Government published a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility ("the Definition"), alongside accompanying guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Information Requested

I request the following information in respect of your force:

1. Confirmation of whether your force has adopted the Definition, in whole or in part. And if it has:
   1. The date of adoption
   2. Minutes of any and all meetings at which adoption was discussed
   3. Email and/or other correspondence in which adoption was discussed
   4. Whether the Definition, or any equivalent formulation of anti-Muslim hostility, has been incorporated or is proposed to be incorporated into any force document which could reasonably be considered to constitute policy, strategy, operational guidance, training material, hate crime recording framework, or community engagement document. For each such document, please provide:
      • its title and date of publication or adoption; and
      • a copy of the document, or, where it is publicly available, a link to its location.
2. Whether any guidance, circular, or recommendation has been received from the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), the College of Policing, or any other body concerning adoption of the Definition. If so, please provide copies of that correspondence or guidance, or indicate where it is published.
3. Whether your force is actively considering adoption of the Definition. If so, please provide details of any review, consultation, or decision-making process currently under way, including anticipated timelines.
4. Whether your force has received any complaints, reports, or recorded incidents since 9 March 2026 in which the Definition has been referenced or applied. I do not request details of individual incidents; I ask only for the aggregate number of such instances, if any.
5. Please provide copies of all documents produced internally by your force since 9 March 2026 not already captured above that relate to the Definition, including but not limited to: implementation plans, briefing notes, equality impact assessments, minutes of meetings at which adoption of the Definition was discussed, and any correspondence between your force and the Home Office, NPCC, College of Policing, or any other body on this subject — to the extent not already captured by your response to question 2.

Clarification Q:

With regards to the definition as follows: UK Government published a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility ("the Definition"),

​​A Definition of Anti-Muslim Hostility​ - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/a-definition-of-anti-muslim-hostility)

We note that this applies to England only, can you therefore advise if you wish to amend or withdraw your request?

Clarification A:

Irrespective of the fact that definition only applies to England, we would still like an answer to our request in the form submitted.

Response:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold some information, as outlined below.

The UK Government’s definition is only applicable to England and not Wales however, as the Welsh Government website states in the below link: While this definition applies in England only, careful consideration of its implications for Wales will be required to assess whether adopting a similar approach would support efforts to tackle hate and promote cohesion. 

Written Statement: International Day to Combat Islamophobia (13 March 2026) | GOV.WALES (https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-international-day-combat-islamophobia-0)

Until that assessment has been made by Welsh Gov no documentation has been created, and nothing will be sent internally

Please be advised that the Force is committed to taking a firm stance on all crimes and dealing with incidents in a robust and progressive way. In relation to the government’s definition of anti-Muslimism hostility this would fall under the Force’s hate crime policy, which can be found here Hate Crime Policy | Dyfed-Powys Police. A hate crime is a criminal offense motivated by hostility, prejudice, or malice towards a victim based on their actual or perceived race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or transgender identity. It can include physical assault, verbal abuse, harassment, or property damage. Hate crimes differ from hate incidents because they involve a criminal offense.

Hate Crime: A criminal offence (e.g., assault, threats, arson) driven by hatred.

Hate Incident: An act that does not meet the legal definition of a crime but is motivated by prejudice, such as offensive slurs or bullying. These can still be reported to and recorded by the police as they may escalate.

Response 2:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does not hold the information requested, due to no documentation being received.

Response 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does not hold the information requested, please see response 1 above.

Response 4:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

No complaints received.

Response 5:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does not hold the information requested, due to no documents being created.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 27/05/2026)