Key facts
- A record 10,293 referrals were made to the UK's Prevent anti-terror program in the year to September 2025.
- This is a 39% increase from the previous year.
- Referrals for extreme rightwing ideology rose by 20%.
- Referrals for Islamist extremism decreased.
- The largest proportion of referrals (36%) were for individuals aged 11 to 15.
- Nearly one in five referred individuals (18%) were autistic.
The UK's Prevent anti-terror program received a record number of referrals in the year to September 2025, with a total of 10,293 individuals suspected of extremist or violent tendencies, marking a 39% increase from the previous year. Official data released on Thursday revealed a significant 20% rise in referrals related to extreme rightwing ideology, accounting for 2,103 cases, while referrals for Islamist extremism saw a decrease to 860.
The figures indicate that 11 to 15-year-olds constituted the largest demographic group referred to the scheme, making up 36% of the total. The data also highlighted that nearly one in five individuals referred (18%) were autistic, and 36% had a diagnosed mental health or neurodiversity condition. Concerns over fascination with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks accounted for 8% of referrals, with 'InCel' extremism at 1% and leftwing extremism at 0.3%.
More than half of all referrals (56%) were for individuals with no identified ideology. Incomplete data on ethnicity showed that of 5,315 referrals, 68% were white, 18% Asian, 8% black, and 7% other. After initial assessment, 1,100 referrals were taken on as channel cases, with 76% of those being white.
Jacob Smith from Rights & Security International expressed concern over the high number of autistic individuals being placed on police records through the program. Security Minister Dan Jarvis emphasized that the record referrals underscore the scale of the challenge in combating terrorism and highlighted the program's success in diverting over 6,000 people from violent ideologies.