Financial Strategies of Right-Wing Extremist Organizations and Actors in the United Kingdom and Germany

By William Allchorn, Nigel Bromage, Bethan Johnson, Alexander Ritzmann, and Hans-Jakob Schindler

This study outlines and analyzes the financial strategies and activities of key right-wing extremist (RWE) organizations and actors in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Germany. The research focused on legal as well as (potentially) illegal financial activities and on key actors (individuals/ groups) with systemic relevance to the UK’s and Germany’s RWE milieus who have been active for a significant amount of time and have a significant track record of (being suspected or convicted) of relevant crimes as well as individuals who are likely to operate across national borders. 2. As identified in a 2020 CEP report1 on the transnational connectivity of key RWE actors in six countries, right-wing extremists apply various strategies for generating income streams. These can be classified as: 1) self-financing/ donations/crowdfunding/membership fees/ cryptocurrencies, 2) concerts and music festivals, 3) commercial activities like merchandise stores/web-shops, 4) combat sports events, 5) purchase of real estate for investment purposes and to establish “safe spaces,” and 6) organized/ financially motivated crimes, including money laundering. 3. Some of these financial strategies do generate significant amounts of income, as shown in another CEP report on RWE financing patterns and networks in 2021.2 A significant portion of the generated funds are in cash. In this context, illegal activities such as tax evasion or money laundering could present a weakness in these financial activities that offer potential opportunities for disruption by law enforcement and tax authorities if investigative priorities are set appropriately. 4. The objective of this study is to inform policymakers and practitioners working on the prevention and countering of right-wing extremism/ terrorism as well as financial crime with the goal of enhancing the understanding of the RWE financial strategies and to encourage further cooperation between relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.

New York, Berlin, London: Counter Terrorism Project: 2023. 31p.