Anti-immigrant politicos in U.S. and Europe begin exploiting Brussels attacks

The terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Brussels that left 34 people dead are being exploited for political gain by many European politicians and parties, but especially so by right-wing, anti-immigration populists.

Belgium's own right-wing party from Flanders, Vlaams Belang, has seen its popularity on social media soar since the attacks after its leader called for a "waterproof border policy," according to Vocativ.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the France's National Front, called on French authorities to carry out sweeping raids on minority neighborhoods and "empty the basements [of terrorists], the laxness has gone on for too long."

Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo from the Law and Justice party said her country could no longer take the 7,000 refugees it agreed to accept in negotiations with the European Union because of the deadly attacks, Reuters reported.

In the United Kingdom, the Independence Party, which is backing the British exit from the European Union known as Brexit, used the attacks to push their agenda.

American right-wingers chimed in, too.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump used the attacks to reiterate his stance on torture as an appropriate response as well as his plan to close U.S. borders while labeling Brussels "disaster city." 

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Meanwhile, his GOP rival, presidential candidate Ted Cruz, said police should more aggressively "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods."

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"The far right are successful not because they are strong, but because the mainstream political forces appear to be weak."

These reactions come as little surprise to observers like Anton Shekhovtsov, a visiting fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences. He told Mashable on Wednesday that their messages essentially build on the actual feeling of terror left by the attacks.

"Those who...are calling for disuniting and fragmenting the West are essentially continuing the horrifying work of Islamist terrorists," he said.

But some are actually going so far as to answer violence with more violence.

One radical organization, called Madrid Social Home, reportedly lit flares atop a mosque in the Spanish city and hung a sign that read "Today Brussels, tomorrow Madrid?"

"It is essential that this knee-jerk reaction from the far right is confronted intellectually and politically," Shekhovtsov said.

Right-wing organizations will be able to successfully exploit the attacks only in case the mainstream politicians fail to respond to the attacks in a resolute and decisive manner, he added.

"The far right are successful not because they are strong, but because the mainstream political forces appear to be weak," Shekhovtsov said.

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