England: More than 7,300 people referred to counter-terrorism programme amid growing right-wing extremism

A total of 7,318 people were referred to the UK’s counter-terrorism programme in 2017/18 due to concerns that they were vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism, up from 6,093 in 2016/17.

Of the referrals, 3,197 (44 per cent) were referred for concerns related to Islamist extremism and 1,312 (18 per cent) were referred for concerns related to right-wing extremism. The majority (57 per cent) were under the age of 20, and the overwhelming majority (87 per cent) were men.

The largest proportion (42 per cent) of referrals left the process with no further action, but 2,902 (40 per cent) were signposted to alternative services and 1,314 (18 per cent) were discussed by Channel, the programme supporting those vulnerable to radicalisation.

A total of 394 people subsequently received support through Channel, most of whom (76 per cent) have since left the process, mostly (84 per cent) with no further terrorism-related concerns.

The controversial Prevent programme was launched in 2006, but has been stepped up in recent years in a bid to tackle radicalisation.

It took a major step forward under then Home Secretary Theresa May with the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, which places a statutory obligation on schools, universities, prisons, local authorities and hospitals to prevent radicalisation within their walls.

Civil liberties group Liberty has called for an independent review of the programme, saying that it “leads in practice to very real human rights violations”, including “rights to education, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and belief, freedom from discrimination and privacy, and … the special protections afforded to children by virtue of the Convention on the Rights of the Child”.