Earlier in December, 2016, prominent scholars and practitioners around the globe assembled at The Hague Institute to grapple with the issues of migration, the refugee crisis in Europe and the larger crisis of global governance surrounding refugee management. I have not come across another global conclave where the mood of the panellists and participants mostly from Europe can be so sombre and deeply unsettling. A sense of despair could be seen among a majority of the speakers and leaders dealing with the issue of migration governance. The air was tense and uncertain. Remember that, not long ago, this was the continent that used to goad, gag and lecture countries and regions, particularly the Global South, on values and principles of democracy and human rights. Of course, it still does the same. But the ongoing refugee crisis has dented much of the moral high ground that Europe built up over many decades.

The continued turmoil in the Middle East and the surge of thousands of desperate refugees towards Europe seems to have completely exposed the once invincible region to deep vulnerabilities. Although Europe had to tackle a surge of refugees during the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts in late 1990s, the present crisis is more severe. The refugee surge has led to protests and a series of political backlashes, particularly in lesser developed Eastern Europe. Brexit and the rapid rise of far right parties in many of countries of the EU are threatening the very foundation of this most promising enterprise of 21st century. Since early 2015, the refugee crisis has taken up much of European leaders' time and preoccupations. Importantly, fear of refugees has created deep chasms among member states and exposed the limits of their collective action. And the real winner of this crisis is the populist regimes that are thriving by ratcheting up mass hysteria and fear to harness political dividends.

Fear exaggerated

Is the current refugee movement really as big or monstrous as many European analysts and politicians claim? Are these fears based on ground reality, or are they more to do with growing Islamophobia? A quick tour of facts will be useful to analyze current perceptions. Take the case of the number of migrants seeking refugee status in this prosperous region. Since 2015, there have been about a million refugees that have entered Europe seeking asylum. Take the case of Denmark. With about population of 5.7 million, Denmark received some 21,000 applications for asylum in 2015. In statistical term, this makes about 0.375 percent. Similarly, Norway another Scandinavian country with a population of 5.2 million received just about 30,000 applications for asylum in 2015. Statistically speaking, this makes about 0.58 percent of population. One can go on.

In contrast, the same continent had shown much greater generosity and courage to accommodate refugees numbering in the millions. In 1950, Germany, still recovering from the heavy casualties of World War II, allowed 12 million refugees to enter the country from all parts of Eastern Europe, absorbing nearly 18 percent of internally displaced persons. In short, much of the panic and despair about economic costs and job loss are mostly exaggeration and largely driven by motivated analysts and the extreme right-wing political parties that smell an opportunity to reap electoral dividends.

The real source of anti-refugee stance stems from old continent's growing Islamophobia. According to a recent survey by Pew Research Centre, European perceptions of refugees are largely influenced by negative attitudes towards Muslims already living in Europe. The Pew reports that in countries such as Hungary, Italy, Poland and Greece, more than six-in-ten have an unfavourable opinion of Muslims. The fear of Islamic terrorism and its threat to local culture seem driving the waves of anti-refugee protests and political churnings in most regions of Europe today.

With over 3000 deaths at Europe's borders (many of them preventable), this prosperous continent is facing a severe tests for its values. Not long ago, European countries renegotiated the Refugee Convention so as to prevent a future Holocaust. Of course, this is not to ignore the courageous leadership of a select number of countries, particularly Germany and Sweden. These two have taken much more than their fair share of refugees and have exhorted others to follow their footsteps. Yet, such acts of generosity by handful of countries can barely hide Europe's loss of leadership and moral purpose.

Niranjan Sahoo is Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.

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