Home Office and police mislead friends and family about people referred to Prevent, surveils them
3rd February 2026
The Home Office and the police are misleading the friends and family of people referred to Prevent, all while setting them up for surveillance, RSI said today.
Two documents that RSI uncovered through the freedom-of-information process, and that were recently covered in Private Eye magazine, paint a disturbing picture.
The first document, a ‘Friends & Family Factsheet’ given to people whose friend or family member has been referred to Prevent, was prepared by the Home Office and Counter-Terrorism Policing (CTP). It misleads friends and family in several ways, including by:
Claiming that the Prevent and Channel processes are ‘voluntary’ and ‘consensual’, whereas RSI’s previous research suggests that consent is not the norm, while police can move cases into a secretive police-led process when they do not want to seek consent.
Claiming that certain opinions or beliefs are ‘against the law’. Under human rights law, everyone in the UK has an absolute right to freedom of thought and opinion, meaning that it is never unlawful to believe something. Actions may be illegal, but thoughts, opinions or beliefs cannot be.
Linking holding ‘strong opinions’ with ‘extremism’ worthy of a Prevent referral. Prevent is ostensibly aimed at stopping people from committing acts of violence, and there is no evidenced link between the mere holding of ‘strong opinions’ and violence.
The second document, the CTP ‘Multiple Referrals Policy’, outlines how the police treat new Prevent referrals involving a person who has already been referred to the programme, regardless of the initial referral’s outcome. This policy was updated in March 2025, as part of the government’s response to the murders of three girls in Southport. Notably, the document shows the impact a referral can have on a person’s family and social networks by teeing those other people up for surveillance, saying:
“…we [CTP] run adequate checks against a referral Subject’s close family and co-habitants.”
As well as our concerns about police surveillance of family members, friends and housemates, we are concerned that the policy equates multiple referrals with risk. Each year, the police determine that most referrals are not suitable for the Prevent process, and either close the case or signpost it to public services. This policy document makes no distinction between prior referrals resulting in a Channel case (that is, more sustained review by the authorities) or other intervention, and referrals that required no further action. It therefore risks dragging more people in to counter-terrorism intervention – and making it harder for them to get out – simply because they have previously been referred to Prevent. Because no evidence is required for a Prevent referral, it is possible that someone will be referred multiple times simply due to Islamophobia, racism or other bias on the part of the person making the referrals.
For more information, see the documents below.