A rapid influx of refugees pouring into Europe due to global conflicts has unsettled Europeans and furthered nationalist political movements.
Far-right parties, already prevalent, have seen a surge in support and deeper influence within national legislatures and the European Parliament, due to fears the wave of refugees may lead to fewer jobs and more terrorist attacks.
The Pew Research Center found that in eight of the 10 European nations surveyed, at least half the respondents believed refugees increased the likelihood of domestic terrorism.
For Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has become Europe’s poster child for anti-immigrant nationalism, that number reached 76 percent. Additionally, 82 percent believed refugees were an economic burden.
Identity Crisis
Fifty-four percent of the world’s refugees have fled wars and political instability in Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Syria’s five-year civil war alone has driven 4.8 million people from the country, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
The surge of Muslim migrants has caused unease on the European continent. Beyond fears in certain countries that refugees have ties to terrorist groups like ISIS, some Europeans see the incomers as a threat to their cultural identity, which is heavily based on native languages and shared customs and traditions, according to the Pew Research Center. Sixty-three percent of Greeks and 53 percent of Italians surveyed said more diversity made their country a worse place to live.
Older and less educated people were more likely to hold such opinions than younger and more educated people.
Nationalism on the Rise
