Via Campaign for Working Families
What Is Happening?
The Washington political establishment largely views immigration as an economic issue. In their view, more workers, no matter where they come from, equal more taxpayers and greater economic growth.
Many on the left and even some on the right see immigration as a humanitarian issue — whether they support open borders or feel compelled to support immigration out of a sense of compassion.
I think the issue is far more complex. Regular readers of this report know that, in this post-9/11 world, I view border security and immigration policy as essential elements of national security.
So with that understanding, let me give you a few updates on the refugee crisis now confronting Europe.
British Prime Minister David Cameron announced last week that his country would accept 20,000 Syrian refugees. This week he made a surprise visit to a refugee camp in Lebanon. What he learned there should concern everyone.
The Lebanese education minister told Cameron that two out of every 100 Syrian migrants are ISIS fighters being sent “under cover” to attack the West. “It’s a very dangerous situation and the world should wake up and do something about that,” Elias Bousaab said. “ISIS will not stop at the border with Lebanon.”
Let’s do the math. Cameron is willing to bring 20,000 refugees into England. If two out of every 100 are ISIS fighters, that’s 20 out of 1,000, 200 out of 10,000. So the prime minister, undoubtedly acting out of the goodness of his heart, could be importing 400 ISIS fighters into Great Britain.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced recently that her country would take 800,000 refugees. If Minister Bousaab is correct, that means as many as 16,000 ISIS fighters could be coming into Germany.
That may be the tip of the iceberg. A recent survey found that more than one-fifth of Syrians support ISIS.
Something serious is happening.
In the past few days, Germany abruptly reversed course, reimposing border controls. According to CNN, the German interior minister declared that the border controls were “urgently necessary for security reasons.”
One German official said yesterday, “At least a quarter of those refugees allegedly coming from Syria are not from Syria, but from other Arab or African countries.”
In addition, German authorities do know that radical Islamists already there are trying to recruit jihadists from the newly arrived refugees. Remember, we reported a few days ago that more than 70% of the refugees are men — not women and children.
