A Government-funded video game tells teenagers they could be reported to counter-terrorism authorities for questioning mass migration.
“Pathways” is an interactive programme aimed at school pupils aged 11 to 18.
The Home Office’s Prevent counter-terror scheme partially funds the game.
Players guide white teenage characters through scenarios where they must avoid being flagged for “extreme right-wing ideology” after discussing migration online.
Characters risk Prevent referrals if they interact with groups spreading “harmful ideological messages” or attend protests opposing the “erosion of British values”.
The game even frames researching immigration statistics online in a negative light.
School pupils select a character called Charlie, either male or female, who has just started college.
The game refers to Charlie using “they” pronouns regardless of which sex the player picks.
Players face multiple-choice questions throughout, with options colour-coded red for bad and green for good.
Charlie, who is outperformed academically by a black student, must choose whether to simply accept this or blame immigrants for ‘stealing jobs’
An in-game meter tracks how extreme the character’s behaviour becomes.
Early choices include whether to download a video from a gaming platform or tell an adult about it.
Charlie, who is outperformed academically by a black student, must then choose whether to simply accept this or blame immigrants for “stealing jobs”.
Players who “lose” may receive counselling for “ideological thoughts” or face referral to an anti-terrorism expert.
Charlie encounters a video claiming “Muslim men are stealing the places of British veterans in emergency accommodation” and “the Government is betraying white British people and we need to take back control of our country”.
FREE SPEECH IN BRITAIN? READ MORE:
Charlie also encounters a video saying Muslim men are stealing the places of British veterans in emergency accommodation
Players can scroll past or “engage directly with the post”.
Choosing engagement triggers a message: “Unfortunately, Charlie didn’t realise that some of the groups they were engaging in were actually illegal.”
Selecting the option to research the topic is also portrayed negatively.
The character sees research papers, statistics and protest information about the “‘replacement’ of white people”.
Charlie receives an invitation to join a group called Action for Britain.
Charlie is handed a ‘red’ score for attending a protest which warns of the ‘erosion of British values’
The character can also attend a protest against “the changes that Britain has been through in the last few years and the erosion of British values”.
Attending the protest nearly results in arrest, with the character discovering it focuses “more about racism and anti-immigration than British values”.
If Charlie makes moderately poor choices, a teacher refers them to Prevent for counselling and workshops.
East Yorkshire councils developed Pathways with Government support amid local “concerns” about immigration and tensions over migrant hotels.
Hull saw protests at a migrant hotel in 2024 following Axel Rudakubana’s murders. Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent three times.
Axel Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent three times
|
PAHome Office figures from 2024 show Prevent received nearly a fifth of its referrals for “right-wing radicalisation” compared to just 13 per cent for Islamist cases.
MI5 itself said Islamist threats comprised 75 per cent of its counter-terror workload.
The game is designed by Shout Out UK (Souk), which claims to provide “impartial political and media literacy” training.
Matteo Bergamini, Souk’s founder and CEO, said: “Teaching media literacy ensures that all those impacted by our programmes leave with life-long tools and skills to safeguard themselves from these threats.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Prevent has diverted nearly 6,000 people away from violent ideologies, stopping terrorists and keeping our country safe.
“We provide funding to local authorities to tackle a range of threats, including Islamist extremism and Extreme Right Wing. These projects are designed to target local radicalisation risks and are created and delivered independently of Government.
“We are furious at the level of illegal migration, which is why the Home Secretary has set out the most sweeping changes to cut illegal migration in a generation to restore order and control our borders.”
