In the fight against terrorism in the Basque Country, in the field of security, there is the Strategic Plan Against Radical Islamism (PECIR), among whose lines of action, prevention is considered a priority. The Ertzaintza and the Security Department aim to pay special attention to groups considered to be more vulnerable to the radicalising action of jihadist terrorist organisations, among which are the unaccompanied minors (MENA in spanish) or Muslim minors attending school in the Basque education system. In recent years, interest in recruiting them has increased as they are exposed to the Internet and can be consumers of recruitment and indoctrination messages that terrorist groups publish on a massive scale.
In order to fight against false promises regarding the Jihad, the Elkarbizitza Helburu project was created under the protection of the PECIR as a programme for the prevention of radicalisation, in which different projects are developed in which the involvement of the Islamic communities themselves is the key. This dialogue is carried out through regular meetings held by the Ertzaintza with members of the Euskal Bilgune Islamiarra (EBI), an association that gathers together representatives of the different Muslim communities.
The aim is therefore to cooperate jointly to prevent the manipulation that certain young Muslims may suffer and to detect indicators of radical Islamism in order to be able to anticipate. Within the framework of this joint work and the preventive activities of the Department of Security, the creation of the Permanent Classroom Against Radicalisation (APCR), designed in collaboration with the EBI and the Provincial Councils, stands out. This programme consists of three phases: the first is aimed at training educators; the second is aimed at minors under the tutelage of the Provincial Councils and is aimed at separating Islam from violence and providing these young people with tools to identify the recruitment methods of terrorist groups; and the third consists of acting on those who are already immersed in radicalisation processes and trying to redirect them.