I believe that the rise of far-right extremism is a domestic political failure that shouldn't be blamed on vulnerable people seeking safety. When we talk about immigration, we are talking about human beings with individual lives, not a monolith of ideology. To suggest that helping refugees is synonymous with importing extremism is a dangerous generalization. Most people fleeing the Middle East are actually running away from the very extremism—like ISIS or oppressive regimes—that critics claim they are bringing with them. Our focus should be on robust integration programs and upholding the rule of law for everyone, regardless of their background. Blaming immigration for the rise of the far-right shifts the responsibility away from those who actually promote hate speech and xenophobia. We must uphold our humanitarian values because the moment we start selective compassion based on fear, we have already lost the moral high ground that defines a liberal democracy. The far-right is a product of economic anxiety and identity politics, not a direct result of helping those in need.
We need to be honest about the cultural and political friction that large-scale immigration from deeply conservative regions can create. By ignoring the fact that some newcomers may hold views on religion, gender, and social order that are fundamentally at odds with secular European values, progressive advocates are unintentionally creating a political vacuum. This vacuum is being filled by far-right populist parties who are often the only ones willing to address these societal concerns openly. When the mainstream political establishment ignores the 'paradox of tolerance'—the idea that a tolerant society must be wary of those who hold intolerant views—they alienate a huge portion of the local population. This alienation directly fuels the growth of extremist movements at home. Supporting immigration without acknowledging and managing these ideological clashes isn't just naive; it is counterproductive because it provides the perfect recruitment tool for the far-right, ultimately destabilizing the very democracy we are trying to protect.