Thursday, February 10, 2011

Multiculturalism Loses Its Allure

Mosque-Eviction Effort in London Underscores Broader European Shift Toward More Immigrant Integration.
FEBRUARY 10, 2011
By ALISTAIR MACDONALD

LONDON—A local council's effort to evict a mosque from an abandoned industrial site here demonstrates Britain's shifting appetite for multiculturalism, a concept the U.K. prime minister has said should be rejected.

The remarks by Britain's David Cameron on Saturday are the latest step on a path much of Europe has been moving down in recent years after a decadelong burst of immigration led to fears of home-grown terrorism and the erosion of local culture.

But in charting a new course, European governments are weighing the risks that they encourage xenophobia or alienate people in countries that are important to Europe, like Turkey. They're also wary of scaring off skilled laborers from the developing world. the rest
European critics of the concept say the failure to integrate immigrants have resulted in generations of people—from inside and outside the EU—who don't speak the local language well, lack basic skills and have become a drag on welfare systems. Rising jobless rates in nations like Spain and France have inflamed the debate.

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