To be sure. European countries do not have a great historical track record with a heterogeneous citizenry or what is called today, diversity.
Still the increasing immigrant bashing by politicians and passage of tough immigration legislation lately is worth consideration especially once the phenomenon hit Sweden or the Netherlands (!) and considering that the new policy amounts to demographic suicide for the Continent.
Postmodern theory, and especially post-structuralism has something to say about it though, namely, what would politics be without a dog to kick around? Politicians, perhaps even whole populations, find Others (in the post-structuralist sense) useful. Tough economic times? They did it. The immigrants did it. Blah blah. Scapegoating. Until relatively recently, Swedish politicians could not avail themselves of this tool. After all they only had 5% Lapps way up North. So they got the brilliant idea to import their Others from overseas into the towns so that they have someone they can blame for whatever happens.
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