British Deradicalization Program Releases Figures

Channel, a deradicalization program designed to counter the growth of terrorist violence in Great Britain, released new figures on October 8 indicating an increase in the number of British citizens referred to the government for being at high risk of exhibiting extremist behavior. Of those considered at risk, over one-third are 18 years old or younger. British officials implemented the Channel scheme across England and Wales beginning in 2012. Aiming to mitigate both far-right and Jihadist terrorist activity, Channel identifies “at-risk” individuals and provides services to prevent them from engaging in extremist behavior. Measures added in July hold schools, prisons, and local councils legally responsible for reporting extremist behavior, a factor which has contributed to the recent rise in referrals. Nearly 800 individuals were referred to the program between June and August of 2015, of whom one-fifth have been required to enroll in deradicalization intervention classes.

Though many British citizens accept Channel as a legitimate terrorist-prevention measure, critics have pinpointed flaws in the system. David Anderson, an independent reviewer of terrorism laws appointed by the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, explained to The Guardian that if Channel expands its role, it could allow “the state to scrutinize [and the citizen to inform upon] the exercise of core democratic freedoms by large numbers of law-abiding people.” In contrast, Haras Rafiq, director of Quillam, a counter-extremism think tank, explained to the BBC that a rise in terrorist threats must be addressed directly by the government, stating that “more effort needs to come from civil society so that we build resilience in our communities so that these numbers come down." For now, the Channel program will continue to operate as officials learn how to deal with criticism and the rising number of referrals evident in the newly released figures.