By N. S. Venkataraman

The terrorist attack in Barcelona in Spain, when the driver of a van ploughed into a crowd killing thirteen people, has once again caused huge concern amongst the Europeans about the safety of public places in Europe. It is now reported that Finnish police are investigating a knife attack that killed two and wounded eight in the city of Turku as a terrorism related crime.

The fact that so many terrorist attacks that have taken place in Europe in recent times in France, England, Belgium and other places has created apprehension that terrorist attacks can take place at any time as desired by the terrorists and any city in Europe as chosen by terrorists and the European governments have no clue as to how to tackle this grim issue.

The fact is that the terrorist attacks in Europe have become every more frequent after the massive influx of refugees in Europe in the past months. With the German government led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel claiming that the influx of refugees is a humanitarian issue, the refugees were actually welcomed with open arms and for all practical purposes, encouraging them to enter Germany and other countries in Europe in greater numbers. While some European governments have tried to resist the entry of refugees, their efforts were foiled by the German government’s careless and thoughtless refugee policy.

While the refugees entered Europe from several regions such as Syria, Afghanistan and African countries, everybody thinks that German government is primarily responsible for creating such difficult situation for entire Europe.

The refugees whose background are unknown and even nationality is not clear have now spread themselves all over Europe, though they are mostly concentrated in Germany. This massive influx of refugees have already caused severe social tension in Europe and Germany in particular, with crime rates steadily going up.

After realizing its folly, the German government has since tightened its stance on immigration, but this corrective step is too late and too little.

In the wake of the recent terror attacks and tragic events at Barcelona and other places in Europe, the accusing fingers are pointed out at German Chancellor Merkel, highlighting her past remarks defending Islam and her refugee policy.

The question now uppermost in the mind of everyone in Europe is as to how Europe would get rid of this problem created by massive refugee influx, since most of the refugees have no particular skill or education to take a gainful employment and their way of life, religious beliefs and traditional practices are far different from the citizens of European countries. Many people are convinced that it would not be possible to integrate these refugees into the mainstream of life in Europe in the foreseeable future.

With the refugees now becoming permanent residents in Europe and with no chance or likelihood of their going back, they are bound to become a destabilizing force in Europe.

Many people suspect that number of terrorist outfits could have sent it’s cadre to Europe in the guise of the refugees and the German government did not really exercise any procedure to carefully and thoroughly screen them before admitting them. Europe has brought on itself a huge problem leading to terror attacks and the European history will certainly find fault with Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government in Germany for bringing Europe to such a disturbing pause.

With the forthcoming polls in Germany on September,24, the citizens of Germany will have the opportunity to express their view as to whether the action of Angela Merkel is justified. In any case, whatever may be the verdict in Germany, the problem of refugees does not concern Germany alone but entire Europe and European history will certainly write that Angela Merkel has created a refugee problem in Europe without foresightedness .

In the coming days, every time a terror attack would take place in Europe, people would recall about Angela Merkel and her refugee policy with bitterness, whether she would be reelected to power after the poll in Germany or not.