Robinson

"Due to the impact of globalization, many influences affecting the European continent are found in other Western cultures and, in a lesser way, (Ester et al. 1993:110, in Robinson 1999:5) in many other cultures around the globe."¹ (1)

"Though many young people in other nations, including Japan, India, Brazil and Argentina, are taking on the trappings of a globalised culture of music and fashion, the deep-rooted values of these “non-Western” societies are not yet experiencing the great upheavals that are felt rippling through the societies of the West." ²(1)

"conjunction with these forces, but particular to Europe, are two major trends which squeeze the population and its organizations from two sides. These two major players are, first, the unprecedented scope of immigration of non-European Muslims, and, second, the demographic reality of a shrinking population. (Pipes 2004, in Robinson 2004:68)"³ (2)

o "There is no question that the balance of the population in Europe is shifting slowly but surely away from one traditionally of European heritage and toward a majority of those who are of non-European descent."⁴ (2 o

"The degree to which Europe succeeds or fails to deal with the challenge of integration of its variant peoples will define its future. There are hundreds pouring into Europe, literally packed into boats, some embarking on fatal voyages in an effort to reach its shores."⁵ (3) o

"Existing European peoples, though they may not want to fill the job vacancies which the mass of immigrants are filling, also may not care to live side-by-side with those of non-European origin who do not learn the local language and are clearly not assimilating into the mainstream of a traditionally European society."⁶ (3-4)

o "The tension created by the presence of large groups of immigrants whose own birth rates tend to be high, usually choosing to live in cultural enclaves amongst themselves, certainly fuels anxiety and anger in the existing, more traditionally European population, and adds urgency to the finding of solutions to the challenge of integration in Europe."⁷ (4)

"There is no consensus “across the board” in EU decision-making circles on how to handle the challenge of the immigrant wave"⁸

1R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 1 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

2R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 1 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

3R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 2 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

4R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 2 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

5R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 3 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

6R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 3–4 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

7R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), 4 [available online at www.redcliffe.org]

8R Robinson, ' Mega-trends Europe: 1999-2004', Encounters 6 (2005), [available online at www.redcliffe.org]