Far-right groups are leveraging the Covid-19 crisis to further their objectives. Alongside other actors, they are one of the main forces actively seeking to undermine the effectiveness of public-health responses, in this case to further their ideological objectives.

This is manifesting in the following ways: public harms through communications (disinformation, spread of conspiracy theories that have gone mainstream, anti-vaxx rhetoric); harms against minorities (online targeted harassment campaigns, a spike in hate speech and hate crime); and, in rare but high-profile instances, targeted attacks and terrorist plots on critical infrastructure, such as telecommunications masts and hospitals.

There are direct consequences for government and civil-society organisations working to support public-health communications efforts, counter-extremism and law enforcement, and those working in communities and social integration.

This paper will offer a comprehensive overview of global and regional developments concerning how far-right groups have responded to Covid-19.