UK anti-terror referrals hit record high, rightwing extremism up 20%

The UK's counter-terrorism Prevent program saw a record 10,293 referrals in the year leading up to September 2025, marking a significant 39% increase from the previous year. Official data released on Thursday reveals a concerning 20% rise in referrals linked to extreme rightwing ideology, totaling 2,103 cases. In contrast, referrals concerning Islamist extremism saw a slight decrease, falling to 860 from 945 in the prior 12-month period. The figures highlight a sustained increase in referrals following the Southport attack in July 2024. Notably, Axel Rudakubana, who committed a fatal attack, had been referred to Prevent three times but his case was closed due to a lack of clear ideology. Children aged 11 to 15 constituted the largest demographic group referred to the program, making up 36% of the total. The data also indicates that 18% of all individuals referred were autistic, and 36% had a diagnosed mental health or neurodiversity condition. Concerns have been raised about the high number of autistic individuals entering the program, potentially leading to long-lasting police records.

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This was a shocking number of autistic people who now have long-lasting police records under a secretive programme.