Far-Right referral rise does not redeem Prevent’s discriminatory core

London — While it may appear so at first glance, the newly published figures showing that referrals under Prevent relating to the far-right or “no-ideology” category now exceed those for so-called Islamist extremism do not provide evidence that Prevent is an even-handed or fair programme.

The spike in ‘no-ideology’ referrals does not reflect a sudden rise in ideologically-free threats, but rather Prevent’s ever-expanding scope - capturing individuals who pose no risk of violence whatsoever. This mission-creep only deepens the programme’s reach into schools, healthcare, and community spaces, normalising surveillance and suspicion as a default response to social issues.

While the government may present these figures as “proof” of balance, Prevent’s underlying framework continues to disproportionately target Muslims, guided by vague indicators and a securitised logic that equates religious or political expression with potential extremism. The reality remains that Prevent was built upon and continues to reproduce discriminatory assumptions about Muslim communities.

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