Youth Worker Sarkis Achmar says extremists have been deploying themselves as youth workers and attending community events to indoctrinate and recruit at-risk teenagers.

Recent reports detailed tens of millions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on ‘deradicalisation’ programs, which in some cases, are doing the exact opposite of what they’re meant for, and connecting at-risk teenagers, with extreme Islamist recruiters.

Mr Achmar told Sky News host Chris Smith he had noticed extremists attending community events including barbeques and sporting events, deploying as youth workers or volunteers, fishing for young, troubled teenagers to indoctrinate and win over.

He also said his previous company – which specialised in street work – had lost most of its government funding to those organisations infiltrated by extremists.

“These young people, we are losing them by the droves,” he said.