Unwillingly Adopting. Syrian Children in Old Europe

The European Union of diverse ethnic groups, languages and religions is reluctantly accepting a significant new population. Approximately 2 million refugees are estimated to have arrived from the battlegrounds that are now Syria and Iraq. Of them 75 percent are women and children, many of the latter being underage and unescorted. An orphan child that has experienced the tragedies of this war, if neglected, would easily be inclined to be recruited to extremist organizations later. On the contrary, integration of these children to the society of their host countries will be relatively much more effective than older refugees if proper support is provided. They are tabula rasa, and the EU, with its aging population has every interest to welcome them through its welfare institutions. Radical ideologies in the Middle-East have arisen in a context of bad governance, shifting social mores and humiliation of living in lands valued only for their oil. Outside this context the vicious circle of misery and radicalization will be broken. What are the policies that need to be implemented to leverage a positive economic and cultural affect from the adoption of this primarily young population in an ageing Europe? How can such masterplan become convincing to the peoples of Europe that are increasingly open to nationalist voices?