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The extension of the controversial counter-extremism program into immigration and asylum processes risks embedding racism at our borders

Julia Tinsley-Kent

26 January 2024

Migration is not an isolated issue. It is intertwined with political party agendas, geopolitics, conflict or global labour demands, while systems of oppression like homophobia, racism or sexism form the basis of who is considered to be welcome in the West. The exclusionary and discriminatory nature of migration policies is often overlooked.

At the Migrants’ Rights Network, we believe border regimes and immigration systems have their roots in racism and Islamophobia. Now, as Prevent could be forcibly imposed into immigration and asylum processes, migration advocacy organisations and Muslim organisations must wake up to Islamophobia’s grip on UK border regimes.

Prevent is used as a form of surveillance. At present, the Prevent Duty requires particular public-facing authorities such as education, health, local authorities, police and criminal justice agencies to ‘prevent’ people from being “drawn into terrorism.” It is a fundamentally flawed and discriminatory mechanism that leads to thousands of people (mainly Muslims) being treated with suspicion on the basis they are assumed to be more likely to commit a ‘crime’ such as terrorism. 

In December 2023, the Home Office published an Independent Review of Prevent’s report and the Government’s response by William Shawcross (Independent Reviewer of Prevent) in which he recommended the Government explore extending Prevent into the immigration and asylum system. The expansion of the Prevent Duty into the UK immigration system would further embed racism and Islamophobia in borders. 

This is based on the migration status of individuals who committed alleged terror attacks in the UK over the last few years. Specifically, he states that people who are fleeing conflict zones or “from parts of the world where extremist ideologies have a strong presence are more likely to be susceptible to radicalisation… especially if they are deeply disappointed by their reception in the UK”.

There is explicit emphasis on ‘Islamist’ extremism in the Review, and little to no reference of countries with high rates of White Supremacy or far-right activity, such as Ukraine. This highlights the increasing trend for migration to be viewed through the lens of national security, in particular, migration from Muslim-majority countries because Muslims are viewed through the Islamophobic assumption of their proximity to terrorism. It also seeks to effectively punish people for the barriers within the UK immigration system and how they are treated. 

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