Global Far-Right Extremism Desk

In recent years, the surge in far-right terrorism has generated widespread concern surrounding the emergent threat posed by the movement to the public order.

In the past five years, the transnational phenomenon of far-right-inspired terror attacks has increased by 320%, driving the UN’s Security Counterterrorism Committee (CTED) in a July 2020 report to identify the far-right movement as a significant threat to global peace and security.

Similarly, in the US, FBI Director Christopher Wray explicitly articulated the gravity of the threat, elevating far-right extremism and racially-motivated terror to a ‘national threat priority’ in 2020. Wray emphasized that, in the eyes of the FBI, the threat posed by racially-motivated violent extremism is “on the same footing” as threats posed by foreign jihadist-terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Contending with far-right extremism poses a myriad challenges for law enforcement agencies across the world. Effective responses to the far-right terrorist threat necessitate an in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon – its ideological framework, discursive frames, and strategies for recruitment and radicalization across cyberspace.

The aim of this desk is to shed light on the terrorist threat posed by far-right extremism in its various manifestations, including ‘Lone Wolf’ leaderless terror, organized resistance groups and far-right political parties. The desk also attempts to elucidate the scope of the threat posed by these individuals and organizations, through research and analysis surrounding the wide spectrum of far-right ideologies, modi operandi, trajectories of radicalization, operational strategies, developmental trends and parallels with global jihadist organizations.

This desk, comprising a team of ICT interns and researchers fluent in multiple languages, monitors a vast constellation of channels, forums, and discussion boards frequented by far-right extremists.