Sincere as humanitarian feelings in Europe no doubt are, the influx of Syrian refugees carries huge threats. The problem is less the refugees themselves than that their arrival exacerbates existing immigrant tensions that already are no stranger to violence. It raises the prospect of still more violence, not just from would-be jihadists but also from other elements in the immigrant community as well as a growing number of resentful European natives, a pattern that will rend Europe's social fabric and detract further from the continent's already limited economic prospects.
Long before the Syrians began arriving, Europe's immigrant Muslim community had grown large and dissatisfied enough to cause considerable social strain. Putting aside the occasional jihadi, feelings of isolation and a distinct lack of economic opportunity had driven people to antisocial behavior. Emblematic are the riots that occurred in the banlieues of Paris in 2005 and all the smaller follow-on riots that have taken place every year since.
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