The unexpected dimension of the refugee crisis has hit Europe unprepared, and it challenges, apart from logistical problems, also the large number of professionals and volunteers who work with receiving, helping, teaching and integrating refugees. This huge task requires not only additional budgets for registration, accommodation, food, medical care etc., but also a large work force of “front liners”.

People working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants suddenly find themselves between two frontiers: growing xenophobia on one side, and rising frustration and impatience of their clients on the other side. The large part of these front liners has just their good will to help. But sometimes “well meant is the contrary to good”. Front liners, teachers and trainers need therefore new skills and competences to be better prepared to deal with tensions in and between diverse groups of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. They should know how to detect, at an early stage, indicators of radicalisation among their clients. However, many of them have had their vocational education years ago, and many are completely or partially unprepared to the changes in the way in which our society is organized and which conceptual aspects of radicalisation pose a threat.

The Prevent Team:

• deals with (intercultural) tensions between diverse groups of their clients
• detects indicators among their clients/learners who are at at risk of extremism, including the risk of being drawn into terrorism, either directly or through the radicalisation of family dependents
• identifies which is the best way to build resilience to radicalisation
• recognises and respond to increased concerns about extremism and discrimination, e.g. racism, islamophobia, anti-Semitism which refugees and many settled migrants face
• reduces racism and xenophobia in the society

Information on Prevent is available here.

Project duration: 2016 – 2018