Migrant crime exploded in Germany federal report shows

Migrants now account for 8.6 percent of all crime suspects in Germany, up from 5.7 percent in 2015, while the number of German suspects declined by 3.4 percent.

Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere blamed the high crime rate among migrants on migrant “housing”, saying that many were living in makeshift shelters or sharing crowded rooms in 2016.

The overall crime statistics saw a significant rise in especially two areas: murder and manslaughter as well as rape and sexual assault. A separate report from February also revealed that the number of Islamic extremists has grown from 100 people in 2013 to 1 600 three years later.

Suspected crimes by refugees, asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants rose to 174 438 in 2016, according to the interior ministry. Crimes motivated by Islam increased by 13.7 percent last year.

Most crimes are committed by repeat offenders, and just 1 per cent of migrants account for 40 per cent of migrant crimes, according to German federal statistics.

Refugees fleeing the ISIS onslaught in Syria are statistically less likely to commit crimes than rejected asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants from elsewhere. The highest crime rate was among migrants from the Balkans, Morocco and Algeria.

From 2015 to 2016, the number of migrant criminals have increased by 52.7 percent, with politically or ideologically motivated transgressions by foreigners up by 66.5 percent, totalling 3 372 cases in a year.

“There is nothing here to sugarcoat,” the minister remarked, Deutsche Welle reported. “There is an overall rise in disrespect, violence, and hate.”

De Maiziere presented the figures issuing a warning: “Those who commit serious offences here, forfeit their right to be here.” He added that the “proportion of foreign suspects, and migrants in particular, is higher than the average for the general population”.

Violence between ethnic groups of foreigners is another worrying trend, particularly recurring conflict between Turks and Kurds.

Germany has suffered a series of jihadist attacks in 2016, including a truck massacre at a Christmas market in Berlin and the latest findings on migrant crime is a blight on chancellor Merkel’s open border policy just five months ahead of national elections.

Attacks on refugee shelters decreased from 2015, the first drop recorded since data started being collected in 2014.