Covid-19 and Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism: Challenges and Recommendations

Early commentary tended to sensationalise the potential impact of Covid-19 on violent extremism and terrorism, speculating that we might see a substantial uptick in attacks. Such claims were likely overstated given that violent extremist groups have been affected by financial and operational constraints in similar ways to governments, as well as having to contend with restrictions imposed by lockdowns. Opportunities have arisen for groups in some areas where governments and security forces are distracted by public health responses, but overall these cases have so far been outweighed by the increased limitations and constraints groups face. We have not so far seen a significant global rise in security incidents as a result of the pandemic.