Empowering Practitioners to Train Against Vulnerability: The IN2PREV Project’s 3rd Capacity Building Training Seminar        

The vulnerability of refugees and asylum seekers to social exclusion, discrimination, and in rare cases, radicalisation, continues to pose a complex challenge across Europe. Addressing this issue requires trained professionals who can identify early warning signs, promote inclusion, and ensure ethical engagement with displaced individuals.

From the 24th to 26th of June 2025, 38 practitioners from law enforcement agencies and NGOs across Europe gathered in Granada, Spain, for a hands-on training seminar focused on equipping these professionals not only to apply effective tools but to pass on their knowledge and skills within their organisations and beyond.

The three-day seminar was hosted by the IN2PREV project partner Euro-Arab Foundation of Higher Studies (FUNDEA) and the University of Granada and built on previous in-person and e-learning trainings.

Participants engaged with two practical methodologies: the Mentoring for Refugee Inclusion (M4-Rinc) programme and the Frontline Extremism Vulnerability Risk - Structured Evaluation Screening tool (FEVR-SES).

The opening session featured a keynote from the Spanish National Police’s Unit for Citizen Participation, which highlighted how partnerships with civil society are essential for preventing radicalisation and strengthening community resilience. This set the tone for a practical agenda centred on equipping professionals with tools that can be implemented in real-world settings.

Sessions dedicated to the FEVR-SES tool focused on its design, use, and refinement. Participants piloted the tool on simulated cases and gave feedback on its clarity, sensitivity, and adaptability. These reflections will feed directly into the tool’s final adjustments before piloting begins later this year. In parallel, a guest expert from the University of Malaga unpacked the legal and human rights dimensions of vulnerability, emphasising the need for intersectional awareness when working with asylum seekers.
 
The final day turned attention to training skills, offering strategies for delivering effective, engaging, and inclusive sessions. Through practical exercises, group discussions, and reflections, participants developed the confidence to replicate the training experience within their own institutions.

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive: over 92% of respondents felt highly satisfied with the seminar and believed it had strengthened their ability to train others. Nearly 86% said their organisations would likely use the IN2PREV tools, and many praised the opportunity to exchange knowledge with peers as a highlight of the event.

The Granada seminar marked the final stage of a broader effort to build frontline capacity for addressing refugee vulnerability and radicalisation risks. By focusing both on tools and on sustainability, the training empowered participants to carry forward a replicable, ethical, and cross-sectoral approach to mentoring and risk assessment. As the FEVR-SES tool enters its pilot phase and national training initiatives begin, this final capacity-building seminar stands as a crucial step toward long-term impact.