Related project:
IN2PREV
This article was originally published in PLATFORMA: The PPHS Overview on Radicalisation. We highly recommend exploring the full publication here:
Integration of immigrants cannot be limited to providing them with material living conditions. It is also crucial to promote values such as tolerance, respect for diversity and the building of social bonds that can act as an effective barrier against radicalisation.
Contemporary European societies are increasingly confronted with the challenges of immigrant integration and the growing threat of radicalisation in their communities. Migration processes, which have intensified as a result of armed conflict, political destabilisation and climate change, have brought with them culturally and religiously diverse groups that often face adaptation difficulties. In the face of these challenges, the integration of migrants becomes not only a question of providing them with adequate living conditions, but also a key element in preventing radicalisation.
By design, societies that successfully integrate immigrants simultaneously reduce the risk of radicalisation, creating more stable and secure environments. This is because radicalisation is a complex phenomenon that can develop in response to feelings of exclusion, marginalisation or injustice. It is only through appropriate diagnosis and preventive interventions that the risks of radicalisation can be effectively addressed. One extremely effective preventive tool in this context is mentoring, promoted among others by the project IN2PREV (1).
Poland and other countries could be inspired by good practices from countries where mentoring is already used, e.g. Germany, Sweden, the UK, Canada and Australia:
Recruit mentors with migration experience to support newcomers in adapting to life in Germany. Mentors help with learning the language, understanding local norms and values and navigating administrative procedures.
Building intercultural bridges to integrate and reduce feelings of isolation among immigrants. Regular meetings and joint activities give immigrants the chance to make new friends, learn about Swedish culture and traditions and improve their language skills.
Mentors help immigrants with qualifications, job searching and personal development. As a result, many participants in TimeBank programmes have been able to find employment, make social contacts and successfully integrate into their local communities.
Volunteer groups work with refugee families, offering support in various aspects of their lives so that refugees can adapt more quickly to their new surroundings, and mentor relationships often develop into lasting friendships.
Support in English language learning and social integration. Mentors work one-on-one with participants to build trust and individual attention. The programme helps new residents to participate in social and professional life.
Early signs and identification of radicalised persons
Radicalisation does not happen overnight. It is a complex and gradual process that often starts with subtle changes in behaviour, rhetoric or social relations. Numerous reports and studies show a correlation between the degree of integration and the risk of developing extremist attitudes.
Social, economic and cultural integration has been shown to be crucial for building a sense of belonging and preventing isolation, which is often fertile ground for radicalism (2). Integration policies must be comprehensive and take into account the specific needs of immigrants, including access to education, the labour market and psychological support. Promoting social participation strengthens the cultural identity of immigrants and is an effective tool in countering radicalisation (3). On the other hand, long-term marginalisation and lack of prospects can lead to a sense of hopelessness, which in turn can lead refugees to seek answers in radical ideologies (4). In this situation, systematic monitoring of early signs of radicalisation (5) becomes essential to enable appropriate preventive actions to be taken before extremist attitudes escalate (6). Such monitoring should include both formal and informal channels, schools, workplaces as well as social and religious organisations (7). It is crucial to carry it out in a way that supports integration and does not stigmatise refugees (8). Given the complexity of the challenge, it is also crucial to simultaneously develop international cooperation to share information and good practices (9).
Free Training from the IN2PREV Project:
🔹 Course ‘Facilitating refugees and asylum seekers' integration through mentoring’
Learn how to support successful integration through mentoring programmes.
🔹 Course ‘Preventing and identifying vulnerability factors to radicalisation in refugees and asylum seekers’
Equip yourself with tools to prevent radicalisation and identify vulnerability factors in refugee and asylum seeker communities.
The courses are free of charge, delivered in English, in e-learning format and are open to practitioners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
The courses are available for delivery until 11 December 2024.
Underestimated mentoring
Mentoring plays a key role in the integration process of immigrants and in preventing their radicalisation. Therefore, the IN2PREV project offers as one of two key outputs (in addition to a tool for practitioners to assess early vulnerability to radicalisation) a mentoring programme: the M4-Rinc Integration Assurance Programme, for use by staff of NGOs and various types of institutions supporting migrants and people with refugee experience. Dedicated training sessions provide a detailed understanding of the mentoring programme and explain its application in practice.
IN2PREV places particular emphasis on the role of mentors (defined in this case as professionals with broader and more complex experience) as intermediaries who can influence migrants to help them find their way in a new environment and avoid radical influences. Indeed, mentoring enables a close relationship between mentor and mentee, which is extremely important in terms of emotional and social support. Immigrants often face adaptation difficulties that can lead to isolation. Mentors, in turn, can help immigrants to understand the norms and values of the host society, while helping them to retain their own cultural identity.
In addition, mentors play an important role in monitoring potential signals of radicalisation. Thanks to their close relationship with the mentee, a mentor can spot worrying changes in behaviour, such as feelings of exclusion, interest in extremist ideologies or sudden changes in rhetoric and worldviews, earlier than others. This provides the opportunity to intervene quickly and take preventive steps. The IN2PREV project, recognising this relationship and using mentoring as a tool for prevention, appears as a valuable and pioneering initiative in the Polish context, whose innovation lies in a more humane approach, recognising the challenges and difficulties immigrants face in the integration process in the host country (e.g. workplace discrimination, language barriers, difficulties in accessing healthcare, etc.).
Mentoring within IN2PREV proposes a holistic approach, helping with adaptation to a new environment, but also effectively identifying and responding to early signals of radicalisation. By pointing to the involvement of mentors who act as guides and advisors, the project can be a model worth using by Polish institutions wishing to build a migration policy based not only on understanding, but at the same time able to prevent the development of extremist attitudes.
Through mentoring, immigrants can better understand and accept the values of the society they have arrived in, which is crucial for their full integration and participation in society. Furthermore, the programme aims to alleviate the difficulties encountered in the integration process. As a tool for both integration and prevention, it contributes to building communities more cohesive, stable and resilient against extremist influences.
Magdalena El Ghamari, PhD
Expert on Islamic Extremism and Cultural Security
- Preventing radicalisation of asylum seekers and refugees (RAN, 2019), link.
- Systematic Review of Integration and Radicalization Prevention Programs for Migrants in the US, Canada, and Europe, ed. N. Del Pino-Brunet, I. Hombrados-Mendieta, L. Gómez-Jacinto, A. García-Cid, and M. Millán-Franco, (Frontiers. Psychiatry, 2021), link.
- Lessening the Risk of Refugee Radicalisation: Lessons for the Middle East from Past Crises (RAND, 2015), link.
- Prevention of radicalisation through intercultural policies (Intercultural Cities, 2018), link.
- Integration of young refugees in the EU: good practices and challenges (2019), link.
- Preventing Radicalisation in Refugees (The Borgen Project), link.
- B. H. Sude, Handbook Of Terrorism Prevention And Preparedness: Prevention Of Radicalization To Terrorism In Refugee Camps And Asylum Centers (ICCT, 2028), link.
Recommendations:
Investment should be made in programmes that support the integration of immigrants through access to education, the labour market and participation in society. These programmes should take into account the specific needs of different groups of immigrants, offering them support in adapting to their new environment while allowing them to maintain their cultural identity.
It is important to introduce systematic monitoring of immigrant communities for early signals of radicalisation. Early identification of potential threats enables appropriate preventive measures to be taken.
Local communities, including schools, workplaces and religious organisations, play a key role in monitoring signs of radicalisation. It is important that these groups are properly trained and aware of the risks of radicalisation.
Mentoring, as a tool of support and prevention, should be widely used in the integration of immigrants. Mentors can play a key role in monitoring potential signals of radicalisation and offer emotional and social support.
Radicalisation is an international problem that requires close cooperation between countries. Joint activities, such as international training programmes and the exchange of experience, can make a significant contribution to improving the effectiveness of prevention efforts.
Education is a key element in preventing radicalisation. Education programmes should promote democratic values, tolerance and respect for cultural diversity.
The PLATFORMA is our pilot project aimed at sharing knowledge. The first issue is dedicated to RADICALISATION – a phenomenon deserving of special attention and requiring ongoing preventive work. However, we do not aim to exhaust the topic within this edition. Instead, we want to contribute to the discourse by presenting selected aspects that share radicalisation as a common theme.
We strongly encourage you to read the entire publication:
