A report authored by Sara Khan, the former UK counter-extremism commissioner, has revealed that two in five Britons believe Muslims cannot integrate into British society, and more than half think the country's national identity is disappearing due to diversity. The findings are based on a poll of 4,094 adults conducted by More in Common this spring.
Alarming findings on integration and identity
The report, titled Britain Under Strain: The Broken Social Contract, Democratic Distrust and the Mainstreaming of Extremism, found that 42% of respondents believe Muslims cannot integrate into British society. This contrasts sharply with polling of British Muslims, which showed that 85% favour integration, 88% mix comfortably with other faiths, and 85% feel free to practise their religion.
According to the report, 55% of Britons believe national identity is disappearing because of diversity, and nearly a third (31%) are open to the view that non-white people will never be as British as white people. Among Reform UK supporters, the proportion who believe Muslims cannot integrate rises to 71%.
Breakdown of social contract and trust
Khan warned that the findings indicate a structural crisis rather than a temporary dip in confidence. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of those surveyed believe the social contract—the trust between the public and UK institutions—has broken down. Additionally, 28% think individuals should ignore rules and institutions that hinder change.
“The challenge now facing us is more serious, and more deeply rooted, than when I was counter-extremism commissioner,” Khan said. “This is not a passing dip in confidence but a structural crisis as a result of a chronic erosion of trust in institutions. The window to grip this is vanishingly small. The incoming prime minister must address these issues before our social contract anxieties shred away our democratic values.”
Extremist events and exploitation
Researchers logged 1,784 far-right offline events and 225 Islamist events over a 12-month period. Khan said extremist views are being exploited and promoted by hostile states and malign domestic actors. The report also found that 33% of people support remigration—the idea that immigrants should be returned to their countries of origin.
Mixed views among British Muslims
While most British Muslims favour integration, the poll also revealed concerning views among this group. Sixty-four percent said they believe white people are working against Muslims, 56% said the same about Jewish people, and 27% said the Holocaust was invented or exaggerated.
Violence and generational divide
The report found that 80% of Britons say political violence is never acceptable, but 29% of 18- to 34-year-olds consider it acceptable. Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama, which supports victims of anti-Muslim hate, described the findings as “deeply, deeply troubling.”
“The language of remigration is being used by anti-Muslim and far-right groups to suggest that British Muslim citizens should ultimately be part of the remigration process,” Atta said. “This prejudicial and bigoted perspective goes against the core values of our country of the rule of law and fair play. There are real fractures buffeting a number of communities and their relations towards each other today and we have a turbulent time ahead unless the government gets really serious about the depth of the problems.”
Call for urgent action
The report was published ahead of the launch of the UK Extremism and Democratic Resilience Centre (UKEDRC) later this year. Khan, who served as the government's independent adviser for social cohesion and resilience between 2021 and 2024, stressed the urgency of addressing these issues. “What it means to be British, and who that identity belongs to, has become a genuine fault line, not confined to any one political tribe, generation or region. Concern that diversity is eroding national identity is now a mainstream view, held by a majority of Britons,” she said.
