The waves of refugees and migrants are testing Europe. Responsibility, solidarity, as well as the cohesion of states and societies, even of the European Union itself, are being questioned. This is especially true when the humanitarian issue is overshadowed by the terrorist threat.

Particularly when migration flows are perceived by many as a threat, as citizens find it not always easy to distinguish those in need of humanitarian aid from real dangers. Geographic origins, cultural and religious references create ambiguities and confusions that extremists from all sides easily exploit.

Jihadist terrorists, now that the self-proclaimed "Islamic Caliphate" is losing its "state" status, aim to establish insecurity in various parts of the world, and especially in Europe. The difficulties faced by countries like Syria, Iraq, and Libya in restoring order and finding a point of equilibrium among their entities test the resilience of a Europe that has already initiated a unified space of peace and security among its states.

Why are there so many refugees? What are the interests of the "players" in the Middle East? What can Europe do? The SMALL INTRODUCTIONS series includes reference books, written by experts, which provide reliable and in-depth information on issues of immediate interest.

Simple but not simplistic, scientific but not inaccessible, brief yet comprehensive, the series offers the modern reader the keys to deeply understand our complex and changing world.

The director of the series is Babis Papadimitriou.