Babies and toddlers referred to counterterror scheme hundreds of times
Babies and toddlers have been referred to Prevent, the government’s counter-terrorism scheme, hundreds of times since 2016; Babies under one year of age were referred 45 times.
Freedom of information request submitted by Hyphen A Home Office investigation found that children aged between 2 and 5 were referred a further 500 times between 2016-17 and 2023-24.
While almost half (46 per cent) of Prevent referrals for children under 10 during this period were about “Islamist” concerns, this figure rises to 70 per cent for children under three.
Prevent is one of the four strands of the national counter-terrorism strategy Challenge, which aims to identify individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism and offer support to divert them from extremism.
Overall, 2,989 concerns about children under 10 were referred to the program, 1,390 of which were “Islamist” concerns.
Human rights charity Rights and Security International raised concerns in January that the personal data of those referred to remained in other databases indefinitely, even after it was deleted from the Prevent database six years later.
They argued that this “runs the risk of having real long-term effects on the person referred, including children who have since become adults.”
In response to the findings, former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn told Hyphen it was “shocking, distressing and utterly ridiculous” that babies and young children were being referred to Prevent.
He added: “These latest revelations reveal how certain communities are criminalized simply for existing – so much so that even babies and toddlers are being stereotyped and labeled as extremists.”
Independent MP Ayoub Khan said he would write to the Home Office to express his concerns about our findings. Mr Khan said: “I am deeply concerned by reports that babies and young children are being diverted into the government’s counter-terrorism scheme.
“If true, this raises serious questions about how public funds are used and whether such actions are proportionate, necessary or in the best interest of children and families.
“References to babies and very young children who may not clearly pose a threat risk undermining public confidence in Prevent and may contribute to the marginalization of innocent communities.”
Last week the Home Office published updated figures showing a record number of referrals since the data began in 2015.
8,778 people were referred to the counter-extremism program in 2024/25; that number was up 27 percent from 6,922 the previous year.
The figures come after counter-terrorism officials said earlier this week there had been a significant increase in referrals since the murders at a children’s dance class in Southport in July 2024.
Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana was referred to Prevent three times, but his case was closed for lack of a distinct ideology.
Following preliminary screening and assessment, referrals deemed to be at risk of radicalization may be transferred to a multi-agency “Channel panel.”
These panels, chaired by local officials, determine the extent of a person’s susceptibility to radicalization and whether a specific support package to counter the risk is necessary and proportionate.
People between the ages of 11 and 15 account for 39 percent of all cases considered Channel cases.
