- Country
- Denmark
- Target Audience
- Youth/pupils/studentsViolent extremistsFormers
- key themes association
- Deradicalisation/disengagementForeign Terrorist Fighters and their families
- Peer Reviewed practice
- No
- Year
- 2016
Organisation
Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET)
In its role as national security authority, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) is responsible for identifying, preventing and countering threats to freedom, democracy and safety in the Danish society. This applies to threats in Denmark, as well as threats targeted at Danish nationals and Danish interests abroad.
PET’s Centre for Prevention is responsible for preventing threats emanating from radicalisation and violent extremism, including disengagement and critical aftercare services as described in this document.
Type of Organisation: Governmental institution
Project description
For national security-related reasons, PET is paying great attention to individuals returning to Denmark from international war zones like Syria or Iraq. As a part of our broader range of preventive efforts PET coordinates and collaborates with the police and the municipality to re-establish their ties to the Danish society.
As part of the Danish Preventive Model for countering radicalisation and violent extremism, PET facilitates, supports and coordinates the activities related to the National Critical Aftercare. Though the practice applies to all individuals on a path toward violent extremism, it has been tailored toward Danish foreign fighters.
By training and cooperating with authorities within the Danish crime preventive structures, PET are working closely with the National Police, Social services, Prison and Probation Service and the psychiatric system, supporting a local preventive approach to Foreign Fighters.
The aim is to reduce the risk from returning foreign fighters who may have acquired the will and capacity to carry out terror-related offenses in Denmark, including acts of violence, as a consequence of newly adopted networks, abilities to handle weapons and, not least, traumas resulting from their experiences and actions in Syria, Iraq or elsewhere.
The particular practice of Disengagement and Critical Aftercare is comprised of two closely coordinated sets of activities that are aimed at pulling foreign fighters away from a path of violent extremism:
- Disengagement-talks initiated by PET or specially trained police officers in the police districts;
- Capacity building and advising critical aftercare centers at municipal level, including on casework.
In order to minimize the threat of attacks committed by violent extremists, the Centre for Prevention initiates disengagement talks and assists the provision of critical aftercare services that are anchored in the national police districts (called Info houses) and supported by the local municipalities.