250 children from region referred to anti-terror scheme Schools among those to report concerns
MORE than 250 West Midlands children under the age of 15 were referred to the government’s anti-terrorism Prevent programme in one year.
It means police or a local council received a report that they were in danger of being radicalised or drawn into extreme activities.
Schools, colleges and health bodies are encouraged to report concerns.
Newly-published Home Office figures for the 2015-16 year showed that there were 768 referrals in the West Midlands region, including 251 of children under 15.
Of the total referrals, 571 involved concern that people were in danger of becoming involved in Islamist extremism and 97 involved concern about far-right extremism.
Nearly half of the total referrals in the West Midlands – 378 in all – were made by teachers or other people working in education.
Some 148 were made by police, 80 by council staff, 48 by health workers, 37 by members of the community and 23 by the prison service. Eight were made by friends and family.
Some critics claim the Prevent strategy, created by the previous Labour government in 2003, targets Muslims and may actually increase the risk that people become involved in extremism.
Diane Abbott, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, promised to make changes when she spoke at her party’s annual conference earlier this year.
She said: “As part of combating terrorism effectively, Labour is committed to a thorough review of the ‘Prevent’ strand of counter-terrorism policy.
“Increasingly there is a concern that Prevent is a tainted brand and not fit for purpose.”
Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi has also called for the Prevent programme to be “paused” and said “toxic”.
But other politicians, such as Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood (Lab, Perry Barr), have defended Prevent.
Responding to the figures, Mr Mahmood said: “It is good that we have this data.
“There has been a lot of debate about Prevent. To be able to move forward, it’s good to have the detailed information.”
Highlighting referrals by schools, he said: “Teachers are taking responsibility.
“They need more training and support to get that right.
“They have noticed something different and they’ve acted, as they would if they had concerns about child abuse or something else that threatened pupils.
“Nobody has said Prevent is perfect. What we want to do is to get more training in and improve it, rather than simply criticising.”
The figures do not include referrals which are immediately dismissed because they are clearly wrong.
But they do include whose case is assessed found not to be at risk.
Nationally there were 7,631 referrals in 2015/16 and 36 per cent left the process requiring no further action. its brand had become people and are