The UK’s ‘Prevent’ programme, developed to stop children and young people from being drawn into terrorism, risks isolating the communities whose cooperation is most needed to fight violent extremism, according to the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights. The Commissioner’s comments appear in his recent Memorandum on surveillance and oversight mechanisms in the UK.
The Commissioner points out that the impact of the ‘Prevent’ programme on children’s rights is being broadly questioned. A number of academics expressed their fear by way of an open letter in the press that the statutory implementation of the strategy through the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 would have a chilling effect on open debate, free speech and political debate. The Act imposes on specified authorities, including schools, a duty to have due regard in the exercise of their functions to the need to prevent people from being drawn to terrorism. These bodies must refer those they believe to be vulnerable to the police, who decide whether to refer them to a panel to prepare support packages to reduce their vulnerability.
The Commissioner points out that reinforcing community support and gaining the confidence of communities should be the UK Government’s priority. This may be done by: promoting intercultural dialogue in schools; taking measures to combat marginalisation, social exclusion, discrimination and segregation, especially among young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods; and, through supporting families in their role of educating their children to respect the values of democracy and tolerance.
The Commissioner supports the fact that concrete measures should be taken to prevent and fight radicalisation, in particular in schools, disadvantaged neighbourhoods, prisons and on the Internet and social media. However, the Commissioner reiterates that anti-terrorism policies and legislation which run counter to European democratic values and human rights are not only contradictory to Council of Europe member states’ international obligations, but are also counterproductive and contribute to the spread of extremism. All European states need to adopt national policies which are preventive, but not repressive, in the course of their counter-terrorism efforts. Among these policies figure those that should promote tolerance by encouraging inter-religious and cross-cultural dialogue, involving NGOs, with a view to preventing tensions capable of contributing to terrorist offences. Such policies should also provide for the effective elimination of discrimination, especially on ethnic or religious grounds, in law and practice, and for everyone’s access to inclusive, quality education. (more… )
Further information:
- Memorandum of the Commissioner on surveillance in the United Kingdom following his visit from 17 to 22 January 2016
- Comments of the authorities on the United Kingdom to the memorandum
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