No increase in extremism, says Internal Security Service
According to the Estonian Internal Security Service, no growth of extremism could be detected in connection with the topic of refugees.
“The Internal Security Service can confirm that extremism has not directly threatened Estonia's security in the past few months,” its spokesman Harrys Puusepp told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday. He went on to say that the topic of refugees hadn’t brought any increase in extremism either.
“It is important to understand that discouraging attitude and statements are not always motivated by xenophobia, but often rather by fear of the unknown and unfamiliar,” Puusepp added.
“Of course extremists can try and use these fears to increase their popularity. It’s important that people refrain from going along with extremist calls, behind which might not be good intentions, whether motivated by fear or not, whether it is rational or not,” Puusepp said.