The host countries need to utilize social media to provide a counter-narrative to the voices of violent extremists who are trying to lure the youth to their ranks. This counter-narrative should not come exclusively from government officials of the host country, as many refugees view that as self-serving or potentially entrapping. It should come, in the main, from respected religious scholars, imams, and other revered individuals from within the refugee community.
Using a religious counter-narrative is critical because radical Islamist organizations resort to extreme religious precepts, however contrived, to persuade the young to join. Indeed, zealous believers do not feel the need to produce evidence to support their convictions that they are operating according to the will of God. For this reason, violent religious narratives can be effectively countered only with moderate Islamic teachings, with an emphasis on non-violent traditions and the virtue and morals of Islam.
There are two other important factors to consider in the effort to minimize radicalization in the refugee camps. First is the proximity of the camps to the country of origin, which allows for the smuggling of weapons and drugs, and the infiltration of violent extremists into the camps, who remain inactive until such time when they are ready to commit acts of terror in the host country or bordering states.
This requires greater resources for police to monitor various crossing points and conduct careful screening and registration. While the need for such measures is extremely important, the procedures must not be arbitrary and abusive. In this regard, voluntarily reporting suspicious activity in a safe manner, along the line of "if you see something, say something," should be encouraged.
Being that the vast majority of refugees are the victims of circumstance, they should be treated humanely and with sensitivity. Indeed, even some violent extremists can be disarmed by demonstrating compassion and understanding toward the whole refugee community, and treating them humanely and with respect.
Second, the need to provide refugees with their daily necessities may prompt tension with surrounding indigenous communities, especially if they are poor and lack access to services being provided to the refugees, such as healthcare and education. For this reason, host countries must ensure that the surrounding communities are not neglected at the expense of providing aid to the refugees.
To be sure, ignoring the surrounding communities could instigate violent conflicts between the two sides and lead to the radicalization of young refugees in particular; these types of incidents have been cited in Jordan, Turkey, and Germany. Thus, the host country must carefully consider where to build a refugee camp and how that might impact the surrounding area.
The above measures could substantially reduce, but not eliminate, the chances of a determined violent extremist infiltrating through waves of refugees, or a refugee becoming radicalized in the camps. For this reason, host countries should continue the process of deradicalization, mainly through integration, once the refugees are permanently resettled.
How and where to resettle refugees is a critical factor that has long-term effects on absorption and integration. It is only natural that people of the same background, who have gone through the same horrifying experiences, would gravitate to one another, but host countries should avoid concentrating thousands of refugees in one location because this prevents integration with mainstream society.
Previous waves of Muslim immigrants who settled in London, Brussels, Paris, and other European cities provide stark examples of such insular communities. Whereas families should stay together, the host countries must not create a situation where they prevent the integration process, which is central to deradicalization.
Learning from past experiences, host countries should focus on the youth by integrating them into the local communities through activities in which their indigenous counterparts are involved.
Most important is teaching the language of the host country to enable them to enroll in the school system, providing counseling for those who appear to need it, and offering opportunities for professional training.
In addition, instead of indoctrination, the youth should be provided with holistic educational experiences that draw on cognitive, affective, and performative modes of learning to help them restore their sense of self-worth.
Another important activity is to familiarize the youth in particular with the rest of the country by organizing trips, joined by native peer groups, to explore their new country first-hand. This activity allows young men and women to develop a sense of belonging.
Non-governmental organizations should also play a constructive role in accelerating the process of absorption and integration by offering, for example, internships and other office work that utilizes the talents these youth have while learning and adapting to a new work environment.
Host countries must ensure that prisons do not become incubators for radicalization. Violent extremism will persist for a long time, and could dramatically increase the number of extremists within the prison population at a prohibitive cost.
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