In a wake of refugee crisis in Europe and looking for its solutions fear of unknown customs, religions, people with their own culture and way of living, fear and negative perception of foreign regardless whether they are refugees or economic migrant in Europe is on the horizon and is increasing.
Based on European Law Enforcement Agency (EUROPOL) report for this year, shows that terrorist attacks in the European Union (EU) are low relative to Africa, South-East Asia and Middle East and are not evenly distributed over the member states. It needs to be pointed out that religious inspired terrorism was carried out by Europeans that joined and returned from today’s conflict zones and they represent a threat that was responsible for four deaths that happened in previous year on the European ground, not the people who are running away from bloodshed and killings. The EUROPOL report states also of a significant number of terrorist plots being disrupted and of significant increase in arrests for religiously inspired terrorism in previous years. Many arrests made were carried involving individuals that had returned from Syria. EU member states reported of two completed terrorist attacks specifically classified as religious inspired terrorism, one carried out in Belgium and the other in France. The fact is that the increasing number of travelers and returnees represents a significant threat to security in the EU. Statists show that overall terrorist attacks and arrested suspects were classified as separatist terrorist, followed by anarchists and left-wing attacks. But now some are afraid of something that might never happen. Some part of the population perceives people running from war zones or looking for a better life as a threat or potential terrorist. So the fact that refugees represent a threat to Europeans because of their beliefs and religion based on the last year events on European soil has in my opinion so far proven to be false. Having in mind that everywhere extremist can be found. The diversity of nationalities and motives for migration creates huge challenges and should not be simplified.
Maybe some of the people fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries do have bad or so to say terrorist attentions but so far that has not been proven. After all, legal systems are working on the fact not guilty until proven otherwise and should be respected also outside the courtyard. All in all, why do we have mechanisms such as counter terrorist groups, intelligence services, military and police for, if not to protect us from such an individual that could pose a threat to society or security? The OECD Migration report predicted that by the end of this year number of asylum applications could reach 1 million. Data from the Transatlantic Trends survey for 2014 showed that 40% of the population in Europe would prefer a more restrictive migration policy for which a cause could be a major economic crisis, unemployment and not unified solution to the refugee crisis.
Since the year 2011 forward number of refugees coming into Europe has increased and is still increasing. Europe is divided and still has not reached a common policy how to distribute hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving only in this year. Biding quotas are still dividing countries in the EU. Many countries that welcomed refuges have also an economic motive in their minds with great need for educated people in an aging continent, since contrary to public perception refugees are generally not the poorest in their country and many of them have a higher education. We see the west and also EU as a protector of human rights, but in this crisis situation we have seen many opposite actions. We are all human beings and everyone in need needs to be helped regardless their nationality, religion, gender or race. Much still needs to be done to deal with todays’ situation which is putting European migration politics under pressure. I am very curious about the next EUROPOL report next year about incidents and terrorist activities in the EU; since in reports none predictions how will situation regarded terrorism and violent extremism evolve has been made. Some are questioning are we obliged to help everyone coming into the EU? After all, who is to blame for the contemporary world crisis from which are refugees running from? And last but not least is perceived Muslim desire to retaliate against countries participating in military activities in conflict zones real? More than 550 millions of people live in Europe and how many refugees have counting today come into Europe? Federal Office for Migration and Refuges in August announced if Germany receives 800.000 people intending to ask for asylum in 2015 this would be equivalent to 1% of its population. Are we are really endangered and is the wire on the country’s borders the right and only politic a democratic country can come up with?