Security issues pertaining the Immigration from North Africa to EU Research Paper

Security issues pertaining the Immigration from North Africa to EU countries - Research Paper Example Indeed, Ayuman Zohry asserts that, â€Å"the Mediterranean Sea marks one of the sharpest demographic and economic divides currently to be found on the world map† (Zohry p.3). The observation of the author is that, to the north, occupied by European nations, lies countries who characteristically have low demographic growth and levels or standards of living are actually high (Zohry p.3). Ironically, just down the south which now is heavily occupied by Maghreb nations, things are totally different; demographic growth is one of the highest in the world, their economies small and inefficient as compared to that of north, and life expectancy as compared to the north is low (Zohry p.3). Immigration to Europe by Maghrebians is contributed both by push and pull factors. For example, Europe is experiencing low presence of productive age bracket, as more citizens get old. As a result, most of the countries have reformed their immigration policies to attract immigrants to fill up job positions (Zohry p.4). On the other hand, rising levels of unemployment and poverty among the Maghreb countries is forcing the citizens to take all risks in order to escape to Europe where the prospects of having better lives are high (Zohry p.4). As immigration to the north remain purely an economic understanding, numerous evidences now point out that the presence of Maghreb citizens in Europe can no longer be solely attached to economic needs, but rather, they are becoming a source of increasing insecurity issues in the region. What needs to be remembered is that Maghrebians originating from a dominantly Arabic region where Islam religion and culture dominates that their integration into European world with purely different social and cultural orientation is not always easy. Moreover, economic hopes prior to immigration may not materialize, while survival opportunities may be harsh as a result of the new environment, thus the only option to survive may be to enter