Policemen stand guard outside the Brussels airport in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. The death toll has risen to 34 in the deadly blasts in Brussels on Tuesday morning, according to the latest figures. (Xinhua/Zhou Lei)
As Belgium recovers from Tuesday's deadly attacks with sympathy and support shown across the world, Europe finds itself standing at a crossroads with difficult decisions to be made on the security and social fronts.
IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE POLICY UNDER PRESSURE
The United Nations General Assembly quickly condemned the attacks, which killed 34 people and injured more than 180 others at the Brussels airport and a metro station nearby European Union institutions. Brussels was the latest in a string of terror attacks that hit Turkey, Iraq and Ivory Coast last week.
Meanwhile, the Brussels attack will only heighten security across Europe, which is already on high alert following two deadly attacks in Paris last year.
A pattern of escalating violence is clear. Aside from much needed improvements in intelligence and security, experts believe that Europe's immigration policies and Western democratic values at large will need to be re-examined.
Song Luzheng, a scholar and commentator living in France, warned once again that a "clash of civilization" would unfold if Europe is unable to readjust its immigration policies and strike a balance between integrating immigrants into mainstream society and preserving their unique roots.
Song had raised the issue of "a divided society," caused mainly by the relative "isolation" of minority groups in some European countries, mostly composed of immigrants and disadvantaged groups, after the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in January 2015.
The cartoon weekly had repeatedly ridiculed Prophet Muhammad, which is considered disrespectful and a violation of Islamic practice. But its supporters believe it had a right to do so, citing "freedom of expression" and dismissing the upset feelings from Muslims.
The situation in Europe has worsened with the influx of refugees and migrants displaced by conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.
"The refugee problem and terrorist activities are two major challenges facing Europe, which are also closely connected," said Shen Xiaoquan, a senior research fellow at the Center for International Affairs Studies of Xinhua.
The more furious the terror activities are, the louder the voice against refugees will become in Europe, Shen said, adding that the Brussels attack has become one more reason to strip down Europe's current refugee policy.
