Record number referred to UK's counter-radicalisation scheme Prevent

Britain's counter-radicalisation programme Prevent saw a 37% increase in referrals to 9,957 individuals in the 2024-2025 period, with a record 36% of referrals being under the age of 15.

The number of people referred to Britain's ​counter-radicalisation programme Prevent soared to record ​levels last year, with many ‌aged under ​15, government data showed on Thursday. Prevent has been a key strand of Britain’s security apparatus since the September 11, 2001, ‌attacks on the United States, with the aim of stopping people from going on to commit acts of violence.

However in recent years it has faced growing criticism with some of ‌those referred to the programme carrying out terrorism attacks or other multiple murders. According to ‌the latest figures from October 2024 to September 2025, 9,957 individuals were referred to Prevent, up by 37% from the previous year. The total number of referrals, which includes individuals referred more than once, rose ⁠to 10,293, ​an increase of 39%. ⁠Both measures are the highest figures recorded in a single year in data going back to 2015.

Those ⁠in the 11-15 age bracket accounted for 36% of referrals, the highest proportion. Of the reasons for ​referrals, more than 50% fell into categories where no specific ideology was identified. ⁠Of the rest, 20% related to extreme right-wing concerns with 8% of referrals associated with Islamist extremism.

In July ⁠last ​year, a review of Prevent concluded that the scheme needed to adapt to prevent mistakes which led to a lack of action to address concerns raised about ⁠those such as teenager Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event ⁠in Southport in ⁠2024. Another assessment of the scheme in 2023 concluded that it should refocus efforts more on the threat posed by militant Islamists after becoming ‌too concerned ‌with extreme right-wing ideologies.