It has been around five months since I have written a piece on Europe’s refugee crisis. Looking back, I was hopeful, optimistic, and suggestive of EU’s joint response to the unprecedented events. However, a lot has happened. The walls have been built, the winters have advanced, cities have been attacked and the Trumps of the world have gained prominence. This past Tuesday, the parliament of Denmark passed a law that allows the seizure of refugees’ assets - cash and valuables - that exceed $1,450. While other European countries are closing the borders, Denmark opts to deter openly refugees from heading to this welfare state. Danish politicians maintain that the new immigration law has been misinterpreted, affirming that before one claims benefits, one must first use up one’s own resources. The new law based on welfare ideology also prolongs the reapplication period to three years for family members to join the already displaced. Very blatantly, Danish anti-immigration policies are maneuvered not only to hinder refugees from seeking asylum in Denmark, but also to send a clear message to the Muslim communities about Denmark's contentious stance on immigration. Denmark has been marked as one of the leading countries for European xenophobia and Islamophobia. In 2005, when the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published a cartoon mocking the Prophet Mohammed, the conflict between the two communities intensified. Other Western European countries joined the mockery by reprinting the caricatures. In retaliation for the disgrace of Islam, embassies across the Middle East have been attacked. The subsequent ruling parties have attempted to alleviate friction, through trade and security agencies, and receive the benevolence of the Middle East. The current government, elected last year, drew back from any progressive reform and, by imposing the recently developed immigration law, only nullified all former efforts. In June 2015 elections, the rightist party, the Danish People’s Party, emerged at the forefront. Having promised Danes tougher immigration laws, the party gained sympathy from the general public. What does this say about the state of mind occupying the small European country? Essentially, the leadership of the party with the Kristian Thulesen Dahl at the forefront played to the people’s fears. At a time when there are immense national security threats, these types of sentiments work. The politics of fear are nothing new on the global stage. Historically, using fear as a campaign tool has encountered severe repercussions. The backlash of such policies entails prejudice against innocent citizens. In the years after World War I, German-American citizens in the U.S. were not only put in disadvantage, but some were murdered. Nowadays, similarly, Muslim children in European kindergartens are often bullied. Politics of fear is followed usually by controversial assertions and media coverage; thus, it assists the right-wing parties to get ahead. It is also an easy tool in suggesting the opposing side’s incompetence. Such populist parties advance on the electoral ladder by banking on the fear that left-wing parties with their political sensitivity will not keep the nation safe. Very often, the panic surrounding the matter is unjustified. However, the emotional response outweighs the reason hindering the electorate from making informed, critically-analyzed decisions. With the recent attacks instigated by the Islamic state, Islamophobia is on the rise in the West. Are we wrong to fear? Statistically speaking, the fear is irrational. According to the Oxford University researcher Max Roser, there is a much greater chance of other types of violent death including armed conflict and interpersonal violence. However, with broad media coverage of religiously motivated terrorism we are left feeling exposed and vulnerable. The media manipulates us into this current state of apprehension. The anxiety then, in turn, manifests itself as deterioration of the quality of life of Muslims and other marginalized religious groups. That is where the right-wing parties step in to harness this fear. The Islamophobic rhetoric employed by right-wing populists dismisses political correctness in the interest of cultural and economic security. Ultimately, we should not judge the electorate. It is the manipulation of those who succumb to their fears; it is the demagogues who feed off of fear, and it is those who spread the message of fear. We need to wait for voters to find their way with reason and draw on progressive ideals. Only then can refugees, with opportunities to move forward, join the labor force and integrate into local communities. This article was written by Lana Kugli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Immigrati Lampedusa on Flickr