PREVENT referrals in Scotland are up by nearly a third sparking calls for the controversial counter-extremism scheme to be scrapped.
New statistics show there were 114 referrals made to Prevent between last April and this March – an increase of 31% on the following year, according to figures from Police Scotland.
Almost half of referrals to the scheme – which critics say has a chilling effect on freedom of speech – conclude with no further action being taken by the authorities, while 49% are entered into the Prevent case management scheme.
In that case, the police, the local council or the health service will try to deradicalise them.
The largest proportion of Prevent referrals concerned people aged 15 to 20, some 38% of overall cases. They are also the most likely to enter the Prevent case management system making up 41% of that group.
Almost all Prevent referrals and cases concern men.
The police are responsible for the highest volume of Prevent referrals, followed by schools and universities.
While the number of referrals relating to concerns about Islamism have increased from 11% to 17% in the most recent figures, most relate to “unstable or unclear” ideologies.
In the new statistics, 38% of cases related to confused ideologies, which Police Scotland say relate to people who do “not present a coherent ideology yet may still pose a terrorism-related risk”.
These are followed by people who display an extreme right-wing ideology at 32%.
Prevent was introduced as the Government’s flagship counter-extremism policy by placing a duty on teachers, nurses and other public sector workers to report people they believed were vulnerable to radicalisation.
According to the human rights group Liberty, the policy “embeds discrimination in public services” and erodes trust between people and services “which rely on trust” as well as fostering a “culture of self-censorship”.
The new statistics from Police Scotland have sparked fresh calls for the scheme to be abandoned.
Liz Thomson, Amnesty International UK’s Scotland advocacy manager, said the numbers showed the “harmful impact of Prevent is being felt by a growing number of people in Scotland”.
She added: “Sadly these concerning stats still don’t tell the full story – Prevent’s chilling effect means fear of a referral limits how people enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and religion.
“Scottish ministers can show they are on the side of innocent people and communities experiencing discrimination and rights violations by calling for the UK Government to bring an end to Prevent and reviewing what steps they can take to limit the policy’s impact in Scotland.
“We look forward to meeting with the Cabinet Secretary soon to discuss this.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Prevent strategy is reserved to the UK Government under national security.
“We encourage anyone who feels they have been treated unfairly or incorrectly within the Prevent process to raise concerns with the UK Government Prevent Standards and Compliance Unit.”
