Violence and Security

EU Proposes Tightened External Borders to Counter Terror Threat

April 06, 2016

Following reports from law enforcement agency Europol and border agency Frontex indicating an "indirect link" between uncontrolled migration across the EU's external borders and the threat of terrorism in the bloc, the European Commission is proposing improved communication and data-sharing among border forces in order to prevent the entry of radical jihadists into EU countries.
Critics Raise Questions on Belgium's Security Apparatus

April 06, 2016

The Economist reports that, as more facts emerge regarding failures by Belgian authorities to prevent the recent terror attacks in Brussels, leading some to label the country "the weakest link" in EU security, critics are blaming many of the missteps on poor communication among the small country's network of law enforcement agencies.
Germany Braces for Potential Terror Strike

April 06, 2016

The Economist reports that, in the wake of attacks in neighboring countries and German intelligence estimates indicating approximately 500 dangerous Islamist radicals live in the country, Germans increasingly fear terror attacks on their soil and are acquiescing to the bolstering of security measures in order to prevent them.
National Ministers Call for Ramp-up in EU Security Efforts

April 06, 2016

At a meeting among national ministers in Vienna, the Austrian and German Interior Ministers called on the EU to impose tighter controls on its external borders to prevent migrants who pose security threats from entering the bloc and for greater information sharing among European countries in order to prevent future terrorist attacks.
EU Agency Warns of Undocumented Migrant Security Threat

April 06, 2016

In its 2016 Annual Risk Analysis, the EU border agency, Frontex, has warned that migrants who present a security threat to the EU could take advantage of the chaotic situation on the EU's external borders, often involving migrants who have no documents, to slip into the bloc undetected.
France Withdraws Proposal to Strip Citizenship from Convicted Terrorists

April 05, 2016

Under pressure from domestic politicians and supranational institutions, French President François Hollande has announced that he has abandoned a proposal for a constitutional amendment that would result in stripping dual nationals who are convicted of terrorist actions of their French citizenship.
France Faces Questions over Failure to Confront Radical Islamists

April 01, 2016

Politico reports that the French authorities have faced questions and criticism over "false starts" in their development of programs seeking to deradicalize Muslims who show support for the Islamic State ("IS") and who have returned from Syria after fighting with the radical jihadist group, as observers call for an immediate and more comprehensive plan to deal with IS supporters.
Danish PM Seeks to Suppress Radical Islamic "Hate Speech"

April 01, 2016

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen is seeking to ban radical imams who have advocated illegal practices such as stoning, corporal punishment, and bigamy in mosques in Denmark from public speaking in the country because they engage in "hate speech."
Police Warn of IS Sympathizers on Brussels Airport Staff

April 01, 2016

The Daily Mail reports that police officers at Brussels Airport, in a letter threatening to strike until the security situation has improved, have warned that at least 50 supporters of the Islamic State ("IS") work at the airport as baggage handlers, cleaners, and caterers.
After Brussels Attacks, Poland Shifts Refugee Policy

March 31, 2016

Following multiple suicide bombings in Brussels, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło has announced that, without proper verification procedures in place, her government will not accept any of the 7,000 asylum seekers her predecessors agreed to resettle in 2015.