Swiss canton sets up a radicalisation prevention unit

Vaud sets up a radicalisation prevention unit Keystone-SDA

The Swiss canton of Vaud is creating a Radicalisation Prevention Unit (UPRAD) to deal with the growing number of young people, particularly minors, affected by the problem.

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Headed by the current Prefect of Lausanne, Serge Terribilini, it could be up and running by 2026.

“Radicalisation is a very real and increasingly complex phenomenon. It is affecting younger and younger minors, particularly through social networks”, Vassilis Venizelos, state councillor in charge of the Department of the Environment, Youth and Security (DJES), told the media in Lausanne on Monday.

The new structure follows on from a “disengagement and reintegration” pilot project set up in 2018 in the canton, which resulted in 300 follow-ups on the ground.

It will continue the efforts of this scheme, which aims to “prevent family, school or professional breakdowns that could lead to acts of violence linked to ideological frames of reference”, according to the DJES.

Translated from French by DeepL/mga

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