Banya Bashi Mosque in Sofia, Bulgaria

JERUSALEM – A major motivating factor for European countries forging agreements with Arab and Islamic nations is to temper Muslim immigration to Europe, an Egyptian diplomatic source told WND.

Separately, an Israeli foreign ministry official who recently held meetings with European Union diplomats regarding a possible economic deal with Syria reported hearing the same motivating factors.

European diplomats "talked about how part of their drive to forge Mediterranean agreements involves stemming the Muslim immigration by creating better opportunities for Arabs and Muslims in their home countries," said the Israeli official.

The Egyptian diplomatic source said that some EU diplomats admitted their willingness to put aside objections to trade agreements due to some of the Mediterranean countries' humanitarian rights violations.

"With regard to the equilibrium between insisting on respect for human rights and the facts of Muslim immigrants invading Europe, the EU is giving their priority to solving the second question. This is what we were hearing," said the source.

The EU signed a series of deals with Mediterranean countries, including partnership agreements with Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. Also in 2005, the Greater Arab Free Trade Area was created, consisting of most members of the Arab League. The organization is meant to achieve the initial aims of a proposed Euro-Mediterranean free trade area.

Also, the EU drafted a pact with Syria in 2004 worth an estimated $7 billion a year for the Syrian economy.

The Bush administration delayed the deal for years, since it was particularly opposed to Syria's interference in Lebanese affairs and Damascus' military alliance with Iran. WND reported last month the Obama administration dropped American opposition to the deal without first extracting a concession from Syria to end its military alliance with Iran or address alleged human rights violations.

A signing ceremony was reportedly to take place last week but was delayed.

Muslims have been immigrating to Europe at increasing levels. According to the German Central Institute Islam Archive, the total number of Muslims in Europe in 2007 was about 53 million, including 16 million in the EU.

Some estimates claim that aside from Russia, Europe's Muslim population may double by 2020. Penn State University Professor Philip Jenkins has projected that by 2100, Muslims will comprise about 25 percent of Europe's population.

According to figures released earlier this year by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, Mohammed became the most popular baby boy's name in London.

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