Kenneth Glad
A growing number of British Jews are leaving the UK, drawing attention to questions about safety, belonging and long-term change. The figures are clear. The reasons behind them are still debated.
Data shows migration from the UK to Israel reached a 40-year high in 2025.
The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 4,103 antisemitic incidents in 2023, its highest annual total.
In a Daily Express opinion column, Angela Epstein, a UK-based journalist known for writing on social and cultural issues, links the trend to lived experience.
She describes a steady flow of reports about antisemitic incidents, along with messages from contacts abroad asking: “What the hell are you still doing there?”
Data meets reality
Statistics do not tell the whole story. People react to what they see and feel around them.
CST’s 2024 report noted sharp increases in incidents following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
In the weeks that followed, police forces across the UK stepped up patrols near synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres.
The government expanded its Protective Security Grant soon after, confirming an additional £54 million in 2024 for guards, CCTV and other protective measures at Jewish sites.
Epstein, writing from Manchester, points to the visible security presence as something that is hard to ignore. For some, it signals protection. For others, it reinforces the sense that daily life has changed.
Work and contribution
The debate also touches on economic and civic life.
According to the 2021 UK Census, around 17% of Jewish people are self-employed, compared with roughly 11% nationally. Analysis by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research links this to higher participation in small business ownership and professional sectors, particularly in London and the South East.
Charitable giving is another factor. Analysis by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research shows that a large majority of British Jews donate to charity each year.
Epstein argues that these contributions shape British public life in ways that are not always visible.
Researchers, however, stress that such influence should be assessed carefully, using detailed sector data rather than broad assumptions.
A shifting picture
Migration decisions rarely come down to one issue.
Family connections, religious identity and opportunities abroad all play a role, especially given Israel’s long-standing policy of encouraging Jewish immigration. Safety concerns are part of the equation, but not the only factor.
Some analysts suggest placing this trend alongside wider post-Brexit migration shifts, where mobility has increased across multiple groups for economic and personal reasons.
Still, the overlap between rising incident reports and increasing departures has sharpened the debate. It raises a direct question about how secure people feel building their future in the UK.
The numbers are rising. The responses are mixed. And for a country that has long seen itself as stable ground for minority communities, even a gradual shift like this lands heavily.
Sources: Daily Express, Community Security Trust (CST), UK Census 2021, Institute for Jewish Policy Research
