German authorities have confirmed that the number of attacks committed against asylum seekers rose in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter last year.

The majority of the crimes had a far-right-wing motive, reported the German protestant news agency EPD, citing the regional newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

In total, in the first three months of 2023, there were 45 attacks on asylum seeker accommodation registered, and 42 of these had a far-right motive. In the same time period in the previous year, 19 such attacks were registered, and 16 of them had far-right motives.

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The majority of the crimes related to property damage or anti-migrant "propaganda" reported EPD. A few cases related to fires being started or grievous bodily harm and injury. During the course of the whole of 2022, 123 crimes were recorded against asylum seekers or their accommodation. That means that around a third all crimes committed last year have already been committed in the first quarter of 2023.

Rising trend started at the end of 2022

An increase in attacks had already begun in the last quarter of 2022. In that period 48 attacks on asylum seekers were recorded, an even bigger number than was recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

The attacks were not just directed at accommodation housing asylum seekers, but also at migrants, asylum seekers and refugees themselves. In the first quarter of 2023, government figures show that there were 408 attacks on people, 350 of those were reported to have a far-right motive. Again, this accounts for about a third of the crimes committed throughout the course of 2022. In the first quarter of 2022, as a comparison, 243 attacks were registered, of which 223 were recorded as having a far-right motive.

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The German Left party’s migration policy expert, Clara Bünger, who raised the question in parliament, thinks that the attacks are increasing partly in line with the asylum debates underway in Germany. Bünger told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that she believes rhetoric from the political right regarding asylum is fanning the flames of dissatisfaction in society and is making people believe that there is no room for anyone else to come to Germany.

Asylum debate fuels attacks, thinks Left party politician

Bünger warned that rhetoric like this was "preparing the ground for racist mobilization on the streets and more violent attacks against those who have fled their countries for Germany." On Thursday, Germany's state interior ministers are meeting to talk about migration.

The newspaper underlines that, although the trend of attacks appears to be on the rise again in Germany, it is far lower than the peak in 2015. In that year, 1,047 attacks against asylum seeker accommodation were registered, states the paper.

Also read: Germany, focus on ethnic background creates false perception of migrants

In 2022, states the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, 218,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, similar numbers were last seen in 2016. In addition, around a million Ukrainians fled to Germany.

Asylum in Germany

According to the latest figures from Germany’s Federal Migration Bureau (BAMF) last updated in May 2023, 135,961 people are currently applying for asylum in Germany. The majority come from Syria, followed by people from Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Iraq.

From January to May 2023, reports BAMF, 125,566 people applied for asylum for the first time in Germany. In the same time period last year, 71,122 submitted a first application.

The number of people applying from Syria rose by 75.1% and from Afghanistan by 81.4%. Applications from Turkish nationals increased by 226%.

With EPD