European Parliament calls for EU states to fight radicalization of young citizens

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) adopted a resolution on Wednesday urging European Union (EU) countries to take coordinated actions to prevent radicalization of young EU citizens and fight against terrorism.

The non-binding resolution, adopted by 548 votes in favor to 110 against, with 36 abstentions in a parliamentary plenary session in Strasbourg, sets out concrete proposals for a comprehensive strategy to tackle extremism, to be applied in particular in prisons, online, and through education and social inclusion.

In the resolution, the EP proposes setting up an EU blacklist of jihadists and terrorist suspects. The resolution stresses the need for a common definition of foreign fighters to permit criminal proceedings against them when they return to the EU.

It also underlines the need for mandatory and systematic controls at external borders of the EU. In line with this, MEPs call on member states to make better use of other tools such as the Schengen Information System.

MEPs propose segregating radicalized inmates as a possible measure to avoid prisons serving as a breeding ground for the spread of radical and violent extremism.

To prevent the distribution of hate messages and praise for terrorism on the Internet, the EP wants illegal content that spreads violent extremism to be deleted promptly.

Sources: XINHUA