The Education sector accounted for the highest source of referrals since data was first published in 2015/2016

Children aged 11-15 were the largest proportion of referrals with almost 5% of referrals being children under 10 years

‘The Prevent duty is not compliant with international human rights law and must be abolished once and for all’ – Ilyas Nagdee

The latest figures on the referrals to Prevent duty show how innocent people, including high numbers of children, continue to be disproportionately targeted by the counter-terrorism programme - as revealed in the Home Office’s annual statistics published today (5 Dec 2024).

The latest figures show that between April 2023 and March 2024, 6,922 people were referred to Prevent. Of those referred, 512 were recommended for Channel intervention - the Government’s deradicalisation programme.

Amnesty International’s report ‘This is the Thought Police’ outlined how Prevent violates many of our fundamental rights heading towards further damaging and discriminatory consequences for our society.

In August this year, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination condemned the Prevent duty for targeting Muslim communities. It is concerned about the “chilling effect it has on children’s freedom to express themselves and that half of the children reported under the Prevent duty are Muslim or of Asian descent.”

Trade Unions, the UN, civil society groups, teachers and academics have all criticised the Prevent duty for discriminating against Muslims, for invading people’s privacy, and for having a negative effect on our freedom of expression.

Responding to the statistics, Ilyas Nagdee, Amnesty International UK’s Racial Justice Director, said:

“The Government’s “Prevent” duty prevents trust. It’s harrowing that the Education sector is the largest source of referrals and children younger than ten continue to be targeted. This shows the extent to which Prevent stands in the way of us building trusting relationships with the very people we should be able to go to for care and guidance.

“The Prevent duty demands that our caretakers act like spies - our teachers, doctors, nurses and social workers; the people we should trust the most - are pressured to make rash judgements about the people they are meant to care for.

“Politicians must address and repair the harms people have experienced at the hands of the Prevent duty. We need to see an end to the continued struggle to obtain information from the authorities, exactly how it is being used and stored and what damaging effect this may have on their future.

“Regardless of our race, background, religion or political beliefs, we should all feel free and safe to be ourselves and to express our opinions and beliefs. That is the foundation of a society that celebrates difference.

“The Prevent duty is not compliant with international human rights law and must be abolished once and for all.”

Scrap the Prevent duty and address the harms it has caused

Amnesty reiterates that the Prevent strategy does not comply with international human rights law and should be abolished.

The Prevent duty targets Muslim communities, making so many people in our communities feel fear and unable to freely and safely be themselves. 109 out of 153 Muslim people that Amnesty spoke to said they have changed their behaviour out of fear of being reported.*

The Government’s Prevent duty, which was forced into schools, means that nearly one in three people reported to the police under the Prevent duty are children under 15. These are children at a pivotal stage of their lives when they should be allowed to express themselves freely and given the space to make mistakes and get guidance and care. 

The Prevent duty pressures teachers to make rash judgements about who seems at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Teachers and social workers are making personal judgements based on their gut feelings and biases and this means nearly half of the children reported to the police under the Prevent duty are Muslim or of Asian descent.

Despite the Home Office claiming that the Prevent duty is not a criminal process, the information of people reported to the Prevent duty – even if there is no further action – are held on a Police Case Management database for a minimum of six years. For so many of the children reported, that could be their whole time at school.

The Prevent duty is forced on so many people in our communities – over five million people who we’ve entrusted with our care, like nurses, teachers, social workers, have been forced to do this training.

*all statistics from Amnesty International report.