Birmingham, UK — Preet Kaur Gill MP, Labour’s representative for Birmingham Edgbaston, has called for urgent government action following a spate of five anti-Sikh hate incidents reported across the West Midlands in just two months — including two racially aggravated rapes targeting young Sikh women.
Gill, along with other MPs, met with Policing Minister Sarah Jones (@LabourSJ) to demand a stronger and more coordinated response from law enforcement. She highlighted that 71% of hate crimes in the UK are recorded as racially aggravated, underscoring the need for better data collection and recognition of Sikh identity within national statistics.
“The recent rise in anti-Sikh incidents is deeply alarming and reflects a broader failure to properly recognise and record crimes against Sikhs,” Gill stated. “The government must ensure that the Census includes Sikhs as an ethnic group so that accurate data can guide effective policy and policing.”
Community leaders across the West Midlands have echoed her call, urging authorities to prioritise the safety of Sikh women and to strengthen hate crime monitoring and victim support.
Gill’s intervention adds to growing national pressure on the Home Office to address gaps in hate crime data and improve protection for minority communities across the UK.