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xJoint letter to Cabinet Secretary on impact of the Prevent strategy
Date: 19th November 2024
Category:
Civil Rights and Freedoms, Other human rights treaties and mechanisms
In a joint letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Amnesty International alongside Together and other human rights defenders are calling on the Scottish Government to review the Prevent strategy, raising concerns that it harms human rights in Scotland.
Prevent is the UK Government’s strategy aimed at preventing radicalisation and violent extremism. The Scottish Government manages its implementation within public services in Scotland.
In the letter, the signatories express that Prevent is incompatible with human rights principles, as it undermines privacy, freedom of expression and equal treatment. Recent reports from Amnesty International and the People’s Review of Prevent, claim that the strategy disproportionately targets Muslim communities, treating them as a “suspect community.” The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recently recommended a review and suspension of Prevent, noting its negative effects on Muslim communities’ rights. Additionally, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child highlighted concerns over the impact on children, stating that Prevent limits their freedom of expression and religion. The UN Committee called for a thorough assessment of Prevent's effects on children and clearer data on referrals based on age, ethnicity, and religion.
The joint letter calls for a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss Prevent's impact, which they say particularly affects Muslim communities, neurodiverse individuals and young people. Also, urging the Scottish Government to act within its powers to limit Prevent’s negative impacts, especially around data collection and information sharing. Signatories are calling on the UK Government to abolish Prevent entirely, allowing professionals to use regular safeguarding processes to support people at risk.