Is immigration a problem in Europe? (crimes, how much, home)

[NYLATINQT]

THis is not meant to start hating on anybody. But I've heard of Europe called "Eurabia" because of the huge Muslim population. It's said they do not assimilate well into the European culture and there are alot of problems. My husband is Muslim so I don't have anything against muslim people. I'm just curious to know how much of a problem it really is. I mean, they've had a number of terrorist attacks in Europe. I've seen news footage on TV where the Muslims are protesting in the streets, etc...I've never seen that here in the US and I think it would be shocking if it did happen.
Anybody that watches CNN hears all the talk about illegal aliens in our country (primarily Mexicans) but aside from people afraid of them taking away jobs (and that's open for debate), they are not really a threat. So what's the real deal with immigration in Europe?

[dullnboring]

Muslim immigrants to Europeans countries are generally very different from Muslim immigrants to the U.S. Firstly, many of them initially came from poor and rural backgrounds in their home countries, recruited by Europeans to become "guest workers" to help rebuild their countries after the war. They were thought of as guests and it was assumed that they would return home. They didn't. Instead, they had children, raised families and brought over more family members who had children. Unlike the U.S. and Canada, Europe did not have a history of encouraged immigration and placed a heavy emphasis on nationality. As such, these foreign "guests" were generally confined to the underclass, with little effort given towards integrating them, placing them oftentimes in shoddy housing, grouping them together, and having them confined to certain areas of employment. This was a short-term solution that somewhat "worked" for the first group of immigrants, but not their children. Their children found themselves in the classic "first generation" dilemma of immigrants' children around the world of being torn between two countries, never feeling at home really in either. However, the sense of isolation between their home countries in Europe was greater than those first generation immigrants in the U.S., largely because Europe basically didn't want them there and tried to ignore them. In some countries, they were ineligible for citizenship. In countries with stubbornly high unemployment rates already, minorities faced an even harder time finding employment from the established, oftentimes racist and xenophobic, society of their home countries. It created a vacuum of poverty, unemployment, segregation and a sense of alienation which made many neighborhoods ripe feeding grounds for militant imams. Angry young people with nothing to do and seeing little future ahead, finally were seeing an outlet for their anger in religious fundamentalism. It gave them a sense of belonging, something to do with their time, and fed into the bitterness they had at society as a whole and rewarded the violent rejection of it's values. It is the same manner in which U.S. street gangs take hold in inner cities, but the difference lies in the oftentimes loftier and more sinister goals whereas U.S. gangs tend to focus on drug money and neighborhood issues, as opposed to taking on a society or culture as a whole and regarding it as the enemy. It's only been in recent years where many European countries have started confronting the problems they have faced with integrating new immigrants, and realizing their errs of the past. The situation is similar for other non-Muslim immigrants in Europe, but just due to proximity, Muslims from various nationalities generally form the bulk of immigrants in most European countries.

This sort of thing doesn't happen all that much in the U.S. In regards to Muslims in particular, the overwhelming majority of Muslims who come to the U.S. are college-educated and tend to be from more wealthy and urban backgrounds. They are generally fluent in English and sponsored by employers. Muslim-Americans have a high average income, are overrepresented in many high-skilled and well-paying fields, and generally live integrated in American suburbs, working and living alongside mostly non-Muslims (oftentimes including large numbers of Jews, so there's less of that rift as well). While the children of immigrants in America face the same culture clashes as many children of immigrants elsewhere, it's a bridge that the majority of them are to able to navigate successfully compared to those in other countries. The U.S. is generally a country that is accepting of newcomers. It has long been a country of immigrants, absorbing wave after wave of culture after culture, being accomodating but by the same token holding steady to it's core beliefs and encouraging assimilation. As such, there isn't so much this sense that a Turk or a Pakistani or a Moroccan can never truly be an American, as there is in many European countries. There aren't quite as many identity crises. Due to the integrated, well-off, and educated nature of the Muslim community in the U.S., Islamic extremism doesn't really root itself well into the community here. There is less anger to tap into. Most of the Muslims in the U.S. live well are too well-educated to be swayed by it and tend to believe in a more moderate-to-liberal version of Islam.

The majority of Muslims in Europe reject Islamic fundamentalism as well, but there is indeed a proportionally higher acceptance of extremist beliefs amongst European Muslims than their American counterparts. Of course, home-grown terrorism can happen anywhere. All it takes is a few crazies, as is evident of the Lackawanna Six here in the U.S. They should never be made as an example of such a large group as a whole, but there is something to be said for investigating whether a country's policies and social climate is one in which makes it more acceptable for such dangerous views to foment.

[Anarchy]

We in the UK are very lucky as we dont have any immigration problems at all

[Agility]

Yes in France recently,(arab/black riots) Germany has problems with crimes against the Turks there.

[clongirl]

Yes, problems and overt racism becoming the norm in Ireland as well. Many issues concerning Eastern Europeans and Polish and Nigerians. As a matter of fact, upon the sign that welcomes you to the well to do and popular seaside resort of Kinsale, is a sign welcoming you to the town and a vandals written message of "Poles get out!"

[bale002]

In Italy, over the past fifteen years or so, any small population increase is attributable to immigration, but to a significant extent the same can be said of the US (though the population increase has been much larger).

On a regular basis, Italian and Spanish islands and enclaves and Malta are bombarded with would-be African immigrants crammed onto at times make-shift boats, seeking entry into the EU (an analogy could be Cuban boat people). The interested EU governments often hold talks with some of their north African counterparts on this issue.

Meanwhile western and central Asians are smuggled across eastern Europe also seeking entry into the EU (an analogy could be people-smuggling across Mexico into the US).

This is in addition to the description by dullnboring which mostly applies to Germany, France, and the UK. We could add Belgium to that list. Some Scandinavian countries are not without immigration issues as well, but I believe to a lesser extent.

Technically, movement of central European workers to points west should not be viewed as immigration since most of these countries are now part of the EU, but rather internal migration to job centers, though obviously nationalism still influences views and sentiments.

[ian6479]

We do have large numbers of immigrants in the UK but I wouldn't call it a problem. The problems are within the misconceptions potrayed by our pathetic media, and the racist ideologies naturally inherent in much of Britain.

I'm sure that spaniards are complaining about British immigrants invading upon their shores!! Most people never seem to have an issue about "white western" immigration

My wife is American, and there's many people at her workplace bitchin about immigrants, but when she reminds people that she is also an immigrant to the UK, it is always "oh well thats different"...

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by NYLATINQT

THis is not meant to start hating on anybody. But I've heard of Europe called "Eurabia" because of the huge Muslim population. It's said they do not assimilate well into the European culture and there are alot of problems. My husband is Muslim so I don't have anything against muslim people. I'm just curious to know how much of a problem it really is. I mean, they've had a number of terrorist attacks in Europe. I've seen news footage on TV where the Muslims are protesting in the streets, etc...I've never seen that here in the US and I think it would be shocking if it did happen.
Anybody that watches CNN hears all the talk about illegal aliens in our country (primarily Mexicans) but aside from people afraid of them taking away jobs (and that's open for debate), they are not really a threat. So what's the real deal with immigration in Europe?

California being called "Mexifornia" is just like Europe being called "Eurabia".
Muslims protesting in Europe is the same as Mexicans protesting in the US.

Immigration is not the issue (legal or illegal) it is simply bias against the poor, unskilled and uneducated who seek to evolve and cannot in their own country. I am an educated Mexican-American and I will say bias against race, religion etc is a bi-product, whether it is intended or not.

My guess is that Polish of Ireland, Muslims of Europe, are being treated with just as much bias as the Mexicans in America.

Ireland from a Polish perspective

Europeans Fleeing Eurabia [Weblog] - Daniel Pipes (kind of old but good)

[Veiled Prophet]

She is mad because she has made herself look like the uneducated ignorant person she is about illegals. Her and her pro-illegal loving buddy are doing nothing but making personal attacks, like the direct message that Mach sent to me. So nice and it definitely showed how he hates me. He sent me a direct message that was nothing but one giant personal attack. I am going to send it to some moderator when I am told how to do it and when. also going to turn the both of them in for their personal attacks to me in here. Oh yea, I am guessing my college educated retired butt is too much for them to take the truth.

You are right Nea1. They are not worth it at all. They are exactly one of the things that is wrong with this country.

[Ad_87]

Hi guys, Just to add my tuppence worth. England has a huge problem with immigration and is often coined Englanistan, I'm of the belief that the countries going down hill, for various reasons (including joining the EU, loss of freedoms e.t.c.) a major one being the strain on Public services due to immigration, now I'm not in anyway racist but I'm in the same mind as a lot of working / middle class people... we're an Island and enough is enough. There seems to be a growing racial divide, the primary reason being that immigrants to a large degree don't seem to want to integrate... This was reflected on Saint George's day (England's National Saint) whereby our national flag is traditionally flown and celebrations take place... Well, some ethnic minorities seemed to take offense at this, and apparently it could be deemed racist... in my opinion if they're not happy then they're welcome to leave, simple as. My culture is being destroyed, political correctness has gone mad in the UK.