Probably referring to the narrative of rising commodity costs driving revolt. Not a very substantiated view as commodity costs in the area have been worse in the not to distant past
That and general uncertainity combined did not cause the revolts but definetly a factor. What thfollowed was a bad handling of the crisis by the Western powers. And with all the convenient dictators, viable road-blocks for everyone trying to get to Europe, in North Africa gone already existing refugees had open venues to Europe. Add to that all the People trying to get out of the civil wars that followed after the revolts in certain countries and you can explain a big part of the so called refugee crisis.
Unfortunately this crisis, despite being basically over in Terms of numbers, is playing an ever increasing roll in European politics. And I personally don't like the results a single bit, not every country is realizing what voting for righ-wing populists means like the French did. Germany certainlly isn't.
The AfD is still below 20% nationwide. And there's a glimmer of hope: Opinion polls suggest that the majority of Germans are increasingly frustrated that refugees and immigration politics are about the only topic of national discourse, even though we have a ton of issues that need addressing (affordable housing, shortage of nurses, sustainable pensions, crumbling infrastructure, the energy revolution, etc.).