Denmark passes new anti-radicalisation plan
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 27 Jan, 2015 CET.
Updated: Tue 27 Jan 2015 12:20 CET
Denmark’s parliament near unanimously voted through the country’s new anti-radicalisation plan on Tuesday, pledging to spend nearly 60 million kroner ($9.2m) on planned projects.
The projects include a 6.9 kroner “exit centre” for people who have fought for radical Islamist groups in Syria or Iraq, a hot-line for those who fear friend or family members are at risk of radicalisation, and increased funding for prisons. “We have agreed on a large-scale anti-radicalisation plan to address the problems we see in Denmark with radicalisation and undemocratic tendencies, not least among young people," Justice Minister Mette Frederiksen told TV2 after the vote. “There will be a strong focus on preventing young people getting involved in these radicalised environments,” she added. “But obviously if someone does go down that road, we must do everything we can to ensure that they come out again." The initiative has been hotly debated since it was first proposed in the autumn, with the conservative Venstre Party calling for tougher measures such as exit permits for suspected jihadis. A proposal to involve local imams in the project was dropped due to the opposition of the far-right Danish People’s Party. Only one party, the far-left Red Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), voted against the programme.
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The projects include a 6.9 kroner “exit centre” for people who have fought for radical Islamist groups in Syria or Iraq, a hot-line for those who fear friend or family members are at risk of radicalisation, and increased funding for prisons.
“We have agreed on a large-scale anti-radicalisation plan to address the problems we see in Denmark with radicalisation and undemocratic tendencies, not least among young people," Justice Minister Mette Frederiksen told TV2 after the vote.
“There will be a strong focus on preventing young people getting involved in these radicalised environments,” she added. “But obviously if someone does go down that road, we must do everything we can to ensure that they come out again."
The initiative has been hotly debated since it was first proposed in the autumn, with the conservative Venstre Party calling for tougher measures such as exit permits for suspected jihadis.
A proposal to involve local imams in the project was dropped due to the opposition of the far-right Danish People’s Party. Only one party, the far-left Red Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), voted against the programme.
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