- More than 500 attacks on refugees in the first half of the year
The police registered 519 incidents against refugees and asylum seekers nationwide in the first half of 2024. This is according to a response from the federal government to a minor inquiry by the Left party in the Bundestag, which was obtained by the "New Osnabruecker Zeitung" (NOZ). Specifically, this involves crimes such as hate speech, coercion, and dangerous bodily harm.
In these incidents, which occurred outside of refugee accommodations, 46 people were injured, including six children, as stated in the response, which was also obtained by the German Press Agency. The majority of these incidents - a total of 456 - are attributed to the right-wing scene. Additionally, there were 69 attacks on refugee accommodations. In the first half of 2023, investigators registered 1,155 incidents against refugees, and in the entire previous year, there were 2,450.
According to information from the NOZ, there is a regional focus of these crimes in Saxony and Thuringia, where state elections will take place on September 1. Accordingly, of the 286 attacks on refugees nationwide in the second quarter of 2024, the most occurred in Saxony (41) and Thuringia (35). This was followed by Bavaria (31), Lower Saxony (30), and Brandenburg (29).
"It has long been known that there is a close connection between racist slogans uttered by politicians and racist mobilizations and attacks on the streets," said the Left party's Clara Buenger to the "New Osnabruecker Zeitung". "When the right demands 'remigration' in parliament and even government members blame refugees for all sorts of societal problems, announce mass deportations, or even label asylum seekers as invaders, as has happened in Britain, racists feel empowered to go on a human hunt and terrorize refugees."
The Police in Germany are investigating several incidents against refugees and asylum seekers, as stated in the response from the federal government. The majority of these incidents, involving hate speech, coercion, and dangerous bodily harm, can be traced back to the right-wing scene.
