Many European nations would likely think twice before accepting Syrian refugees seeking asylum, following the discovery that one of the perpetrators of the Paris terrorist attacks was apparently a Syrian refugee.
This development places a big question not only on Syrians but other nationalities from nations with a predominant Muslim population seeking a better and safer life in Europe. Since the Syrian war, more than 4 million Syrians have sought refuge in the continent, reports CNN.
Ahmad al Muhammad, who entered Greece on Oct. 10, declared himself as a Syrian, according to a French senator briefed by the French Ministry of Interior. Muhammad moved to Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia where he registered in the Opatovac refugee camp.
From there, he proceeded to Paris. Muhammad was one of the three men who belong to the suicide squad that blew up Stade de France. The senator says the fingerprints on the passport recovered matched that of Muhammad.
However, the fingerprint is not in the French database, leading officials to believe that the bomber came in with refugees and migrants. The two other bombers had fake Turkish passports.
The Paris attacks now divide Europeans on the safety of letting more refugees seek asylum. One side still sees the humanitarian side of letting in fleeing Syrians seek safety from Islamic State terrorism, while the other side thinks host nations are placing itself at risk because of the possibility that infiltrators would take advantage of the situation.
On Saturday, Poland said it would no longer take part if the European Union resettlement plan for refugees, announced the European Affairs Ministry of Poland. Under the plan, approved in September, the EU would accept 120,000 refugees to be distributed to its 28 member-states.
The 120,000, though, is just a small percentage of the 770,000 refugees who are seeking settlement in the EU.