Arguments Against The Anti-Immigration Movement (PEGIDA)

With the number of immigrants seeking shelter constantly increasing, especially of those fleeing from the Syrian civil war, Europe is confronted with two opposing sides. While one side supports the idea of opening the borders and welcoming asylum seekers, the other argues otherwise. Some groups and parties are campaigning against accepting more immigrants. Germany, with its refugee-friendly policies, currently provides shelter for more than a million refugees. Since the number is so huge, there have been movements voicing objection to refugee-friendly policies.

In Germany, a movement called PEGIDA (which stands for ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West’ in English) demonstrates every Monday evening in Dresden, Germany. What started with only a few hundred protesters now
These widespread rallies of anti-immigration movement show that with the ever increasing number of migrants, native Europeans’ fears are ever growing. While this anti-immigration movement, PEGIDA, may argue that its activities ensure the preservation of its national culture and identity, the rallies have been gaining much criticism. German chancellor, Angela Merkel has mentioned that movements like PEGIDA lack understanding and that they are xenophobic and racist. In addition, they have been called out internationally for sometimes being way too aggressive and radical when voicing objections about refugees.

The native Europeans’ fears of loss of cultural identity and increase in criminality are relatable to some point. However, I don’t believe that could justify the xenophobic attitudes that some of the protesters have shown. Moreover, I believe these movements are only making the refugee crisis even more complex, causing social division, which I believe, indeed needs international cooperation and improvement in awareness of the crisis to be