Babies and toddlers have been referred to the Government’s Prevent counter-terrorism scheme on hundreds of occasions since 2016, according to figures obtained through a freedom of information request. The Home Office data shows that infants under the age of one were referred 45 times between 2016-17 and 2023-24.
Children aged between two and five were the subject of a further 500 referrals during the same period. Nearly half of all Prevent referrals for children under 10 were attributed to “Islamist” concerns, while for under-three-year-olds the proportion rose to 70 per cent. In total, the scheme received 2,989 referrals concerning under-10s, with 1,390 of these recorded as Islamist concerns.
Prevent is part of the Government’s Contest counter-terrorism strategy, designed to identify individuals at risk of radicalisation and provide support to steer them away from extremism. However, the human rights charity Rights and Security International has previously raised concerns that personal data from referrals may be retained indefinitely in other databases, even after being removed from the Prevent database after six years. The charity warned this could have “real long-term impacts” on those referred, including children who have since become adults.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the findings as “shocking, saddening and utterly farcical”, saying they showed certain communities were being “criminalised for simply existing”. Independent MP Ayoub Khan said he would write to the Home Office, expressing concern about the use of public funds and the potential for undermining public confidence in the scheme.
The latest figures come as the Home Office reported a record 8,778 referrals in 2024-25, a 27 per cent increase on the previous year. Counter-terrorism officials have noted a significant rise in referrals since the Southport attacks in July 2024, when Axel Rudakubana, who had been referred to Prevent three times, killed three children.
