A recent report reveals that the number of individuals referred to the Government’s counter-terrorism programme has hit a new record high. The data indicates that hundreds of children under the age of 10 are being scrutinized in these investigations.
In the year leading up to March, a total of 8,517 people were identified under the Home Office’s Prevent scheme, marking a 27% increase from the previous year. The surge in referrals followed the mishandling of Axel Rudakubana, the individual responsible for a tragic incident in Southport. Despite being referred to Prevent three times, Rudakubana’s case was closed due to a lack of a clear ideology.
Out of the total referrals, 1,472 cases were escalated to the Channel scheme, designed for the most severe instances. Recent reviews suggested that Rudakubana should have been directed to Channel before the regrettable attack that claimed the lives of three young individuals.
The data highlights that a significant portion of those referred were between the ages of 11 and 15, with 345 cases involving children below 10 years old. The majority of referrals, constituting 56% of the cases with identifiable concerns, fell under the “no ideology” category.
Concerns regarding extreme right-wing ideologies accounted for over 20% of the cases, with suspected Islamist extremism making up 870 of the referrals. Educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, were responsible for the highest number of referrals, comprising 36% of the total.
Moreover, there was a noteworthy 93% increase in the number of referrals discussed at Channel panels compared to the previous year, with the proportion rising from 13% to 20%. This spike in referrals might be attributed to heightened awareness following the Rudakubana case.
In response to the rise in referrals, counter-terrorism officials have reported a substantial increase since the tragic events in Southport. Independent Prevent Commissioner David Anderson KC emphasized the surge in Prevent referrals across the country in the aftermath of Rudakubana’s case.
Of the total known referrals to Prevent, individuals aged 11 to 15 represented the largest group at 36%, followed by 16 to 17-year-olds at 13%. Children aged 10 or under accounted for 4% of the total referrals.
