Record rise in people referred to UK's Prevent deradicalisation programme

In the UK, the number of individuals referred to the government's Prevent deradicalisation programme has surged by 39 percent, reaching a record high of 10,293 referrals in the year to September 2025. This marks a significant increase from 7,408 referrals the previous year, with the programme now dealing with more cases of extremism than ever before.

Prevent's Channel component, designed for the most extreme cases, has seen a more than doubling in the number of individuals involved. Among the referrals, a significant portion - 20 percent - is linked to right-wing extremism, 8 percent to Islamist extremism, and another 8 percent to a fascination with extreme violence or mass-casualty attacks.

The rise in referrals may be attributed to heightened awareness of Prevent following the Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana's case, which saw him referred to the programme three times but ultimately his case was closed due to the absence of a distinct ideology. The Home Office attributes the decline in referrals of those fascinated with extreme violence or mass-casualty attacks to reduced activity from education settings during the summer holidays.

The Home Office's Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, emphasized the growing threat and the crucial role of Prevent in safeguarding the public, stating that over 6,000 people have been diverted from violent ideologies that could have led to harm. Despite the increase in referrals, security expert Tim Jacques, who took over from former Independent Prevent Commissioner David Anderson in April, highlighted the ongoing challenge of combating online extremism and the need for continuous improvement of the Prevent programme.