Far-right groups systematically recruit new members with thoughtful strategies, using schools and video games as key arenas. Expo's new report, based on interviews and analyses, outlines the recruitment process in six steps. It emphasizes that society's interventions play a crucial role in countering radicalization.
The organization Expo has released a report examining how far-right groups recruit young activists, focusing on the process rather than subsequent acts of violence. Based on interviews with defectors, far-right materials, and open sources, the report identifies systematic recruitment strategies.
Daniel Poohl, Expo's CEO, explains: "We wanted to understand how the extreme right itself operates, what factors enable the radicalization journey." The recruitment follows a "recruitment ladder" with six steps. The first step lowers the threshold for far-right ideas through jokes, irony, and racist jargon on social media. Political legitimacy, such as the Sweden Democrats' open talk of "population replacement," facilitates this. "It's an ongoing effort through propaganda," says Poohl.
Social media is used to showcase community and heroic missions, often keeping ideology in the background initially. Young men primarily recruit other young men in environments where values already align. The gaming world, with its existing racist jargon, serves as a key entry point to private chats. Schools are another central arena. The appeal lies in the promise of real-world action beyond the online realm.
The groups invest significant energy in retaining members through internal rules and identifying betrayal. Poohl compares the process to a cat-and-mouse game between extremists and society, family, and school, where the outside world often prevails. "The final conclusion is that society's interventions matter. The groups are very aware of it," he states.
The report was published on December 15, 2025.
