On 28 April, the third Network Panel Thematic Debate, organised by the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (FUNDEA) and Innovative Prison Systems (IPS), examined the intersections between migration and security, and the risks of unlawful profiling of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. This online debate brought together key actors and organisations, including law enforcement, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as experts, to discuss how to prevent radicalisation in a way that does not unduly undermine fundamental rights, including the right to non-discrimination and the right to asylum, in line with the objectives of the IN2PREV project.
To this end, the event benefited from contributions from the International Centre for Counterterrorism, as well as from the Euro-Arab Foundation whose researcher, Lucía Alonso Pérez, provided guidance to help prevent profiling based on discriminatory criteria when conducting risk assessments of violent extremism. The conference concluded with a presentation by the Guardia Civil, which presented the protocols and practices currently applied in Spain to prevent unlawful profiling, followed by an exchange of experiences and reflections with participants from NGOs and law enforcement agencies from across Europe.
About IN2PREV
The European IN2PREV project is a European initiative that started in September 2022 and in which the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies participates as a member, together with partners from Poland, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Moldova, Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The aim of the project is to facilitate the integration of refugees and asylum seekers and prevent their radicalisation through early identification of vulnerability risk factors. The successful inclusion of refugees as a way to prevent radicalisation is an issue that, despite its acknowledged importance and growing concern, has not received adequate attention and action, and is often addressed through highly securitarian approaches.
Last March, the project brought a seminar to Bratislava to improve the skills of law enforcement and non-governmental organisations working on the frontline with refugees and asylum seekers in preventing radicalisation. Euro-Arab researcher Lucía Alonso Pérez gave a presentation that explored in depth the practices of preventing violent extremism in order to ensure their compliance with fundamental rights and ethical principles. In her intervention, she addressed issues such as respect for human dignity, the right to non-discrimination and privacy, and the importance of guaranteeing access to international protection. In addition, he stressed the need to implement action protocols that prioritise the protection of the rights of refugees, especially those in vulnerable situations.
