Counter-terrorism police to monitor University campuses

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:27

The universities minister, David Lammy (pictured), in an interview with the BBC, has said that universities identified as being at risk of targeting by extremists will have counter-terrorism police stationed on campus.

Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4's The Report, "We have identified universities for whom the risk is greater and they have to work closely with Special Branch, and so I think it is a partnership between leadership at universities and the police."

"We recognise that threat levels have been raised and that this is an extremely serious issue and that there are particular institutions – and those institutions are aware of this because we have brought it to their attention – where the risk is greater. Those institutions are working very closely with the police, and are working closely with Special Branch, and those institutions are present on campus."

The Guardian reports that Lammy 'declined to name the institutions in question, saying he did not think that would be "helpful" and refused to be drawn on whether university Islamic societies should be monitored more closely.'

Malcolm Grant, the provost of University College London, where Abdulmutallab studied, and chair of the new panel established by university vice-chancellors to look into what can be done to prevent radicalization at university, said last week:

"We must of course ensure that universities are not converted into hotbeds of radicalisation. But this is a long way from reality."

The presence of counter-terrorism police on campuses and the presumption in favour of universities as ‘hotbeds of extremism’ will do little to assuage anxieties that Islamic societies and Muslims at universities in the UK will not come under unjustified and unwelcome scrutiny.

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