Muslim Immigrants in Europe: The Changing Realities

Immigration to Europe from Asia and Africa started soon after Second World War. The Muslims were the largest group among them. Those who arrived were looking for work and most were unskilled workers who were absorbed by the economy seriously short of manpower. The cultural and ethnic differences between the immigrants and mainstream society resulted in the anti-immigration forces expressing concern over such immigration. Till about the late 1970s, such concerns were expressed in racial/ethnic terms, but thereafter the emphasis shifted on the Muslims who were perceived to be asserting their communal identity as a separate group. In the 1980s and thenceforth more Muslims headed towards Europe seeking refuge on political and humanitarian grounds. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and similar attacks in some European countries by Muslim extremists, the Muslim presence in Europe has been seen as subversive by some while others have described it as overreaction condemning a whole community for the crimes of a few. Security, human rights and minority rights arguments have been advanced for and against the Muslim presence. This study analyses such concerns in terms of notions of ‘ethnic affinity’ as a social construct.