About the Prevent Programme

The British counter-terror programme ‘Prevent’ was launched in 2003, forming one of the four pillars of the counter-terror strategy ‘CONTEST’. Its purported aim is to prevent the ‘radicalisation’ of individuals towards terrorism. Whilst initially constituting the smallest of the four pillars, Prevent has vastly expanded in size over the last two decades. Since the Counter-terrorism and Security Act 2015, it has become a legal duty for public sector workers such as teachers and educators, social and healthcare workers and prison officers to report on signs of ‘radicalisation’ or ‘extremism’.
 

The growth of Prevent has seen it penetrate deeply into civil spaces. It has continued to be a divisive presence in British society, and is consistently accused of securitising Muslim communities by placing them under surveillance as a ‘suspect’ community. There are examples of Muslims from the age of 4 being referred to Prevent and singled out for particular concern. It has also had a wider impact on democratic and civil rights, with instances of environmental and left-wing activism being targeted by Prevent.

Through its focus on Muslim communities, Prevent is accused of institutionalising Islamophobia in Britain and reinforcing ideas of Muslims being particularly susceptible towards terrorism.
 

Prevent also gives license to state agencies to monitor political activism, and it is charged with repressing and having a ‘chilling effect’ on civic activism in Britain. And due to it being placed on a legal footing for public sectors, Prevent is accused of reshaping the relationship between service users and providers into one of mutual suspicion.

 

In 2019, the Counter-terrorism and Border Security Act included a requirement for the government to conduct an independent review into the Prevent programme. However, the government has failed to conduct the review in good faith, choosing instead to openly politicise the process, making a series of inappropriate statements and appointments that have fractured trust in the process. In February 2021, many of the groups in this coalition joined a boycott of the government’s ‘Independent Review’ because of serious concerns about the record of the individual appointed to lead it, and about whether the process would properly consider the harms of Prevent. You can read more about the boycott of the review here.

We look to address this discussion by bringing together groups from across British civil society to  critically examine the impact of Prevent. For more information about the organisations involved in A Community Counter to Prevent, click here.