For the first time, referrals to the UK's Prevent counter-terrorism programme linked to far-right extremism have outnumbered those for Islamist radicalisation, according to official figures released on Thursday. In the year ending 31 March 2021, there were 1,229 referrals concerning extreme rightwing radicalisation, compared with 1,064 for suspected Islamist radicalisation.
The total number of referrals fell by 22% to 4,915, a drop the Home Office attributed to school and university closures during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prevent programme has faced criticism as a tool for spying on Muslim communities, but police concerns over far-right activity have grown, leading to a higher proportion of referrals in that category.
Accepted referrals to the Channel programme, which offers intensive support, also showed a similar trend. For the third consecutive year, more referrals were accepted for extreme rightwing radicalisation (317) than for Islamist radicalisation (154). Rightwing referrals rose by 5% compared with 2019-20, while Islamist referrals fell by 26%.
The Home Office noted that the proportion of referrals from the education sector fell by 31%, likely due to pandemic-related closures. Counter-terrorism officials expressed concern that lockdowns weakened defences against propaganda, as young people spent more time online unsupervised. Meanwhile, the home secretary, Priti Patel, recently raised the UK terror threat level from substantial to severe following attacks in Liverpool and the killing of Sir David Amess.
The Prevent and Channel programmes are under review, but a coalition of human rights groups, including Liberty and Amnesty International, have boycotted the process, criticising the appointment of Sir William Shawcross to lead it. A Home Office spokesperson defended Prevent, stating: “Prevent remains a vital tool for early intervention and safeguarding.”
