Terrorism-related arrests in Britain have surged to their second-highest level since records began, with almost 4,000 people detained in a year as police enforcement intensified following the proscription of Palestine Action.
There were 3,867 arrests for terrorism-related activity in the year to June 2026, according to the latest Home Office figures. That represents a 1,525 per cent increase on the historical 10-year median of 238 arrests.
The scale of the increase is closely linked to the Government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation on July 5 last year. Some 94 per cent of terrorism-related arrests during the latest year were connected to alleged support for the group.
The figures underline how dramatically the policing landscape has changed since the ban. They also demonstrate the extent to which the use of terrorism legislation has expanded into demonstrations and political protest surrounding the conflict in Gaza.
Arrests accelerated particularly sharply during the latest quarter. Between April and June 2026, police made 810 terrorism-related arrests, compared with just 63 between January and March — an increase of 1,185 per cent.
The Government said the annual total was the second-highest recorded since terrorism arrest statistics began in 2001. The highest figure was 3,920 in the year ending September 2025.
The figures also show that terrorism-related policing has involved young people. Forty-six individuals aged 17 or under were arrested during the year.
Of the 3,867 arrests, 704 resulted in charges, while 89 people were released without charge. A further 16 cases resulted in alternative action, with 11 decisions still pending.
Some 3,047 people were released on bail to return or released under investigation, while 683 individuals were charged under terrorism-related legislation.
The sharp rise followed a prolonged legal and political dispute over Palestine Action. Almost a year after Labour imposed the ban, judges upheld the proscription in June, prompting a fresh wave of arrests.
Following the Court of Appeal ruling, the Metropolitan Police said arrests were “underway” outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where protesters had gathered carrying placards supporting the organisation.
Some demonstrators shouted “shame” and “you’re complicit” at officers, while others displayed signs stating: “I support Palestine Action.”
The enforcement campaign has since extended beyond London. More than 80 Palestine Action supporters were arrested in Liverpool last week during a demonstration outside the Labour Party conference.
Police said 82 people were arrested on suspicion of wearing or carrying an article supporting a proscribed organisation after protesters gathered in the city centre.
The numbers present a difficult test for the Government. Proscription gives police significantly greater powers to act against public support for a banned organisation, but the extraordinary rise in arrests means a substantial share of terrorism-related policing is now being generated by protest activity.
For ministers, the central question is whether the exceptional arrest figures represent effective enforcement of terrorism legislation or a new and sustained burden on police and the criminal justice system.
Leave a Comment