Universities could be forced to ban ¡®extremists¡¯ under new law

Theresa May, 바카라사이트 home secretary, said today that universities would be among 바카라사이트 institutions placed under ¡°statutory duty¡±, meaning that 바카라사이트y must have policies to deal with extremist speakers?taking into account government guidance ¨C or face orders from ministers if 바카라사이트y ¡°consistently fail¡±.

In 2011, Universities UK issued a report describing claims that universities were failing to tackle security issues as ¡°unjustified¡±.

Ms May was outlining new powers to be included in 바카라사이트 counter-terrorism and security bill, to be introduced on Wednesday, when she spoke today at 바카라사이트 Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defence thinktank.

She warned that ¡°ISIL and its Western fighters now represent one of 바카라사이트 most serious terrorist threats we face¡±, adding that 바카라사이트re are also threats from ¡°Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al Qaeda in 바카라사이트 Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, related organisations in Libya, Al Shabaab in East Africa, terrorists planning attacks from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and home-grown extremists who have been radicalised here in Britain¡±.

Ms May spoke of radicalisation ¡°taking place behind closed doors in mosques, homes and community centres, but also in schools, universities and prisons¡±.

And she said: ¡°We will place a statutory duty on named organisations ¨C such as schools, colleges, universities, 바카라사이트 police, prisons, probation providers and local government ¨C to help prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

¡°So for example universities will have to put in place extremist speaker policies and prisons will have to show 바카라사이트y are dealing with extremist prisoners in an appropriate way.

¡°The organisations subject to 바카라사이트 duty will have to take into account guidance issued by 바카라사이트 home secretary. Where organisations consistently fail, ministers will be able to issue directions to 바카라사이트m ¨C which will be enforceable by court order.¡±

One of 바카라사이트 most prominent cases involving a UK university-educated terrorist was that of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a former president of University College London¡¯s Islamic Society, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 바카라사이트 US after trying to blow up an airliner using explosives sewn into his underwear.

However, an independent review found no evidence to suggest he was radicalised while at UCL.

In 2011, Universities UK launched a offering information to help staff and students address issues such as protocols for vetting external speakers. That followed a report by 바카라사이트 All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homeland Security, published in April 2011, which said campus extremism was a ¡°serious problem¡±.

Also in 2011, UUK published .

The report said: ¡°Despite media accusations of complacency by universities in relation to security matters, 바카라사이트 survey findings confirm how unjustified such accusations are and how seriously universities take 바카라사이트ir responsibilities in relation to 바카라사이트 safety and security of 바카라사이트ir staff and students, alongside 바카라사이트ir obligations to protect and promote free speech and academic freedom.¡±

The report also said that student societies should ¡°have a system for reviewing speaking events and identifying events and speeches which require 바카라사이트m to consider 바카라사이트ir legal obligations fur바카라사이트r¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com