German interior ministers alarmed by violence against refugees, rise of right-wing

Attacks on refugee shelters in Germany continued over the Christmas holiday period. Interior ministers are concerned about the growing number of xenophobic attacks along with the rise of the right-wing Scene.

An arson attack on a refugee center under construction in Schwäbisch Gmuend in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg on Christmas Day, coupled with an arson attack on two homes housing immigrant families in Wallerstein in Bavaria a day earlier, are just recent examples of the anti-immigrant sentiment seen in Germany.

The number of anti-immigrant attacks has risen sharply this year. Up until mid-December, the Interior Ministry reported 850 attacks on refugee shelters, more than four times the number recorded in 2014.

In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the number of attacks on refugee housing increased six-fold to 187, compared to 2014 statistics.

A figure NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jäger says he is "deeply ashamed" of.

At the same time, the number of violent, xenophobic attacks on individuals across the country has risen. In the past five years, the number of people assaulted has more than doubled.

According to figures made public by the Federal Interior Ministry, at least one person every day this year has become a victim of xenophobic violence in Germany. Up to and including September the number of reported violent attacks reached 389.

Right-wing extremism......................

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