How Immigration Fueled Radical Islamic Attacks In Europe

Years of open-door policies and unchecked immigration have resulted in a rise of radical Islamism across Europe — and some countries are looking to reverse course.

In the United Kingdom, migrant rape gangs have victimized at least 250,000 British girls over the past several decades, a recent report conducted by Restore Britain, led by Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe, found. A disproportionate number of attackers came from Pakistani Muslim backgrounds, according to the report, which cited court records, previous inquiries, and witness testimonies.

Roughly 87% of those convicted in major group-based child sexual exploitation cases also had distinctively Muslim names, the report said of previous analyses.

“Britain is not a unique case,” the report noted. “This sort of thing goes on anywhere that either welcomes mass migration from Muslim countries or contains long-established Muslim populations. There is a consistent pattern of sexual violence directed against non-Muslim minorities in settings where Muslims form the majority.”

In many instances, authorities were reluctant to address the issue due to potential racism accusations or concerns about community relations.

“They are certainly trying to shut down any speech towards Islam, any criticism of Islam. I don’t understand why people are so afraid of Islam. I think it’s an awful religion, it’s violent, sexist,” Sammy Woodhouse, a survivor of such brutal attacks, told The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles in a recent interview.

Woodhouse said the grooming gangs’ activities would escalate during Muslim holidays when they would throw “parties.”

“If you look at all the murders that’s been committed, the terrorist attacks … there is a clear problem with Islam,” she said.

A Sudanese migrant allegedly attempted to behead another man in the streets of Belfast earlier this month. The gruesome incident was captured on video, showing the moment the foreign suspect pinned another man down and repeatedly stabbed the victim in the face and neck.

In the wake of the brutal stabbing, Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was scared about backlash against minorities and said the attack should not be used to fuel “dangerous narratives.”

“I also know there are many people in our community people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are terrified today about any kind of retaliation or backlash against them, which we have seen in the past,” she told the BBC.

The attack also sparked protests in Northern Ireland, with demonstrators taking to the streets to condemn the country’s immigration policies.

A Syrian asylum seeker who swore allegiance to ISIS went on a stabbing spree in Villach, Austria, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring five others in February 2025.

In the aftermath of the attack, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner called for “mass checks without cause in many areas” since the foreign attacker was not previously known to authorities.

But in some countries, the tide is turning.

Roughly 8% of Sweden’s population in 2020 was Muslim, up from around 4% in 2010, according to Pew Research.

Sweden, which previously had an open-door policy toward Syrian refugees, recently passed legislation to expedite deportations by requiring public sector workers to report illegal immigrants to the police.

The country’s parliament also enacted the “good behavior” law to rescind the residency permits of foreigners who are affiliated with extremist groups, have unpaid debts, or are doing undeclared work.

The European Union has also shifted its policies, with member nations entering into a new pact to speed up deportations and to better vet immigrants at their borders.

Migrants from “safe” countries or those posing a “security threat” will have a three-month asylum process instead of six, according to ABC News. Border authorities will also be able to keep some migrants at the border until their cases are processed.

Migrants will also have only one chance to appeal their rejected applications for asylum.

The pact will expedite deportations by automatically issuing applicants return orders when their asylum cases are denied.