Text presented for the European-Arab Dialogue Conference at Crete, April 14-16, 2011.

In the past 50 years millions of migrants from southern Mediterranean countries have entered Europe. Of course Europe has witnessed migration gulfs earlier but this one was the first with so many people coming from Muslim countries. Because migrants have entered so recently and in such large numbers they have preserved many of the cultural and religious traits of the countries they have come from. They generally follow the news from their countries of origin much closer then native European who lack such ties.