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More people are referred to Prevent for having extreme far-right views than Islamist ones

More people are referred to Prevent for having extreme far-right views than Islamist ones 2

More people are being referred to Prevent for far-right views than Islamist ones for the first time, new figures showed today.

Out of 4,915 cases flagged to the government’s flagship anti-terror programme in the year ending March, 25% related to suspected extreme right-wing beliefs and 22% to Islamist ones. The majority – 51% – were for individuals with a ‘mixed, unstable or unclear ideology’.

Among the 688 cases deemed the most serious and passed onto Channel – which mentors individuals to turn them away from terrorist causes – 46% concerned right-wing terror and 22% Islamism. A further 30% fell into the mixed or unknown category. This is the third consecutive year the far-right have made up the majority of Channel cases.

Prevent came under fresh scrutiny after Tory MP David Amess was murdered in an Islamist attack. Critics have repeatedly accused ‘politically correct’ Prevent officials of diverting too many resources towards suspected far-right extremists despite Islamist radicals posing a ‘far greater threat’.

In 2017, right-wing terrorist Darren Osborne drove a van into Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, killing one person. By comparison, 36 people have been killed by Islamist terrorists from the start of 2017 to today. Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by right-wing extremist Thomas Mair in 2016. 

Under the Prevent programme, local authority staff and other professionals such as doctors, teachers and social workers have a duty to flag concerns about an individual being radicalised or drawn into a terrorism. 

Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, today suggested research was needed about what was driving referrals and why they were ‘out of kilter’.

He told MailOnline: ‘Nobody can dispute these statistics as a matter of fact. Nor is it sensible to ignore extreme right wing ideology as a driver of violent extremism.

‘But we should also be asking about what is driving these referrals and why they are so out of kilter with the clear and present danger of Islamist extremism which in terms of lethality and potential dwarfs extreme right wing ones.’  

Out of 4,915 cases flagged to the government's flagship anti-terror programme in the year ending March, 25% related to suspected extreme right-wing beliefs and 22% to Islamist ones. Since 2015/16, there has been a dramatic drop in the number of initial referrals over concerns of Islamic radicalisation and a steady increase in those concerning far-right beliefs

Out of 4,915 cases flagged to the government’s flagship anti-terror programme in the year ending March, 25% related to suspected extreme right-wing beliefs and 22% to Islamist ones. Since 2015/16, there has been a dramatic drop in the number of initial referrals over concerns of Islamic radicalisation and a steady increase in those concerning far-right beliefs

Among the 688 cases deemed the most serious and passed onto Channel - which mentors individuals to turn them away from terrorist causes – 46% concerned right-wing terror and 22% Islamism

Among the 688 cases deemed the most serious and passed onto Channel – which mentors individuals to turn them away from terrorist causes – 46% concerned right-wing terror and 22% Islamism 

These pie charts show percentage splits for different ideologies over each part of the process for the year ending March 2021

These pie charts show percentage splits for different ideologies over each part of the process for the year ending March 2021 

How does the controversial Prevent scheme work?  

Under the Prevent programme, local authority staff and other professionals such as doctors, teachers and social workers have a duty to flag concerns about an individual being radicalised or drawn into a terrorism. 

This report is then be passed to a local official charged with deciding whether the tip-off merits a formal referral. Prevent referrals are handled by expert officers in the local police force. 

A flow diagram showing how the Prevent process works

A flow diagram showing how the Prevent process works 

Cases are then categorised depending on the nature of the individual’s alleged beliefs – based on evidence ranging from comments they have been overheard saying to their social media history. 

People who are not viewed as either far-right or Islamist are categorised as having a ‘mixed, unstable or unclear’ ideology.

Less serious reports may be sent to council services, which could include parenting support for families whose children have been watching inappropriate videos online. 

This graph shows the types of professionals who make the initial referrals

This graph shows the types of professionals who make the initial referrals 

Serious reports are forwarded on to Prevent’s Channel stage, at which a panel of local police, healthcare specialists and social workers meeting monthly will consider the case. 

At this stage, counter-terror police will be involved and will receive information from counsellors, social workers or theological mentors working with the individual concerned.

He added: ‘There is probably a lot of concern hiding within the dominant group of mixed, unstable or unclear ideology. Is this group getting the same attention as the others?

‘I’m not at all clear that for example alienated young people attracted to the Incel sub-culture equate in any meaningful way to religiously inspired extremism that is so inimical to society in terms of threat.’

Mr Acheson urged the Shawcross Review of Prevent – which is set to be published in the coming months – to look at the issue of how different beliefs were categorised and ensure there was a ‘relentless focus on real harms’.

People aged 15 and 20 accounted for the largest proportion of those referred for all types of radicalisation in the year ending March 2021.

However, compared to other ideologies, the age of those referred for Islamic extremism (1,064) was more equally split between the age groups of 15 to 20 (286; 27%) and 21 to 30 (272; 26%).

At the Channel stage, 64% of suspected Islamists were between 15 and 30. For those accused of supporting far-right terrorism, 63% were 20 and under.

At the time of the killing of Tory MP David Amess, the Henry Jackson Society argued that counter-extremism professionals had ‘lost sight of their duty to prevent terrorism’.

‘There has been an under-referral of Islamist cases and an over-referral of extreme Right-wing cases and we are now seeing the deadly consequences,’ the think tank said.

‘The Prevent review has been derailed by Left-wing groups trying to litigate every aspect of its work and yet a cold hard look at the number of cases in which Prevent has fallen short shows this is only the latest in a long line.’

Prevent places a duty on local public servants including teachers, doctors and social workers to flag concerns about an individual being radicalised or drawn into terrorism.

Since 2015/16, there has been a dramatic drop in the number of initial referrals over concerns of Islamic radicalisation and a steady increase in those concerning far-right beliefs.

It coincides with an increasing focus on far-right extremism following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a white supremacist in 2016. 

Last year the Met’s anti-terror chief Neil Basu warned the far right is Britain’s fastest growing terror threat.

Channel cases for right-wing radicalisation broken down by region: There has been a steady increase in the emphasis on the threat posed by far-right terrorism since the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a white supremacist in 2016

Channel cases for right-wing radicalisation broken down by region: There has been a steady increase in the emphasis on the threat posed by far-right terrorism since the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a white supremacist in 2016

This graph breaks down initial Prevent referrals by age group, as well as those considered for referral to the more serious Channel phase, and those actually passed on to it (year ending March 2021)

This graph breaks down initial Prevent referrals by age group, as well as those considered for referral to the more serious Channel phase, and those actually passed on to it (year ending March 2021) 

Unsurprisingly, men make up the vast majority of cases dealt with by the Prevent process across all its various stages (year ending March 2021)

Unsurprisingly, men make up the vast majority of cases dealt with by the Prevent process across all its various stages (year ending March 2021) 

Ali Harbi Ali

Tory MP David Amess

Prevent came under fresh scrutiny after Tory MP David Amess was murdered in an Islamist attack. Pictured right: Ali Harbi Ali, who has been charged with murder and preparing an act of terrorism 

After the initial referral to Prevent, cases are categorised depending on the nature of the individual’s alleged beliefs – based on evidence ranging from comments they have been overheard making in public to their social media history.

People who are not viewed as either far-right or Islamist are categorised as having a ‘mixed, unstable or unclear’ ideology.

Reports judged to be serious are then referred onto the Channel process – which often involves mentoring to reduce the risk of them carrying out a terrorist act. However, taking part is still voluntary even at this stage.

Liverpool suicide bomber Emad Al Swealmeen is not believed to have been involved with Prevent.  

Is Prevent working? Attacks by Islamist terrorists who had been referred to the scheme 

READING – June 20, 2020: Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a knife attack at a town centre park. He later admitted the murders and was sentenced to a whole life order in prison. The Reading Refugee Support Group warned Prevent officials he could carry out a ‘London Bridge-style attack’. However, he was found to not have a ‘fixed ideology, the Independent reported. 

Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a Reading park in June 2020. Prevent officials were warned he could carry out a 'London Bridge-style attack', but he was assessed and found to have 'no fixed ideology', according to reports

Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, last February. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention

Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah, 27, (left) was assessed by Prevent officials but found to have ‘no fixed ideology’, according to reports. Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, last February. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention

STREATHAM – February 2, 2020: Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police after stabbing two people on a busy street in the south London area of Streatham while wearing a fake suicide vest. He was referred to Prevent but the panel decided his case did not require intervention. 

LONDON BRIDGE – November 29, 2019: Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death by Usman Khan, 28, at a prisoner rehabilitation event. A man and two women were also injured before Khan, who was released from prison on licence in December 2018, was shot dead by armed officers on the bridge. An inquest heard his Prevent officers had ‘no specific training’ in handling terrorists. 

PARSONS GREEN – September 15, 2017: Ahmed Hassan’s homemade bomb partially exploded on a London Underground rush hour train, injuring more than 50 people. He was sentenced to life with a minimum jail term of 34 years. He was referred to Prevent 20 months before he planted the bomb.  

Usman Khan, 28, who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists, an inquest heard

Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017

Usman Khan, 28, (left) who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had ‘no specific training’ in handling terrorists, an inquest heard. Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017

Prisons: Number of far-right terrorists behind bars is increasing but Islamists still make up the majority 

More people are referred to Prevent for having extreme far-right views than Islamist ones 3

By Henry Martin for MailOnline 

Prison data clearly paints Islamic extremism as the primary ideology behind terror in Britain – but the proportion of extreme right-wing terror has grown in recent years. 

Figures from March 31 this year shows there were 157 individuals in prison classed as ‘Islamist extremists’, with a further 44 categorised as ‘extreme right-wing’.

On that same date, 98 (46%) of the 215 prisoners in custody for terrorism connected offences defined themselves as Asian or Asian British, 68 (32%) as White and 18 (8%) as Black or Black British.

The majority (73%) of prisoners in custody for terrorism-related offences on 31 March 2021 declared themselves as Muslim, and 25 prisoners (12%) were of a Christian denomination.

The figures come from ‘Terrorism in Great Britain: the statistics’ – a study published by the House of Commons Library last week. 

The Home Office classifies terrorist prisoners by ‘ideology’ in relation to their membership to proscribed groups according to this criteria:

  • Islamist extremist – This refers to individuals from Islamic proscribed groups who advocate, justify or glorify acts of violence (especially against civilians) or other illegal conduct to achieve fundamental changes to society.
  • Extreme right-wing – This refers to individuals from politically extreme right-wing proscribed groups such as National Action which became the first extreme right-wing group to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016.
  • Other – This refers to individuals from proscribed groups not categorised as ‘Islamist extremist’ or ‘far right-wing’. For example, this includes Northern-Ireland related groups such as the Ulster Volunteers Force (UVF). This category also includes cases whereby the individual’s proscribed terrorist group is unclear meaning their ideological link is not known.
More people are referred to Prevent for having extreme far-right views than Islamist ones 5

The National Offender Management Service (for England and Wales) and the Scottish Prison Service provided figures of the number of people in custody either convicted and sentenced for a terrorism-connected offence.

Data on terrorist and extremist prisoners is published on a quarterly basis and provides a point in time indication of the number of individuals in custody, not necessarily a flow. 

The Ministry of Justice and Home Office formally adopted the definition ‘Terrorism-Connected Offender’ in September 2020, replacing the previously used term ‘Terrorism-Related Offender’. 

For this reason, the House of Commons study says, figures for September 2020 onwards are ‘not directly comparable with previous years or quarters’.  

‘Terrorism-Connected Offender’ refers to those who committed specified offences which the sentencing court has determined have a ‘terrorist connection’ in accordance with Part 3 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. 

‘Terrorism-Related Offender’ refers to those who were convicted of a terrorism-related offence under both terrorism (Section 41 of the section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation) and non-terrorism legislation. 

The latter includes prisoners who could be linked to prisoners who are charged with a terrorist offence ‘but they themselves are charged with a criminal offence such as providing false documentation’.

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