According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Germany, the number of right-wing extremist crimes has once again increased, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser attributing this rise to the AfD and its supporters. In the past year, politically motivated crimes with a right-wing extremist motive rose significantly, with authorities recording 28,945 such offenses compared to 23,493 the previous year. There was also an increase in right-wing extremist acts of violence, with 1,270 incidents in 2023 compared to 1,170 in the previous year. Propaganda offenses, such as spreading materials or using symbols of unconstitutional organizations, made up the majority of these cases, accounting for more than 60% of the total in 2022.
Faeser stated that the goal of the new package of measures against right-wing extremism she introduced in February is to deprive extremists of their income, confiscate their weapons, dismantle their networks, and bring offenders to justice swiftly and decisively. The total number of politically motivated crimes in 2023 exceeded 60,000, compared to just under 59,000 the previous year, marking another record in politically motivated crime after years of increases. Right-wing extremist crimes constituted the largest share, followed by the category “not assignable,” which includes offenses that are politically motivated but not part of the traditional spectrum of extremism, such as those related to anti-lockdown protests.
There were also increases in left-wing extremist crimes and crimes motivated by foreign ideologies. The final statistics for politically motivated crime in 2023 are set to be presented in May, with the possibility of the numbers increasing due to late reporting. Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau of the Left Party, who requested the data, described the prevalence of right-wing crimes as reaching a “devastating level.” A special analysis of the data revealed a substantial increase in anti-Muslim crimes in the past year, with over 500 incidents recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 1,464 throughout the year, compared to 610 the year before.
Pau attributed the high numbers of anti-Muslim crimes to the escalating racist discourse, fueled by irresponsible demands for deportation and isolation in the debate on migration and asylum policies. People of different beliefs or origins are continuously subjected to general suspicion and old stereotypes are reignited. The data from the Federal Ministry of the Interior also showed a significant increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the past year, especially since the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023. In the fourth quarter alone, 2,782 anti-Semitic offenses were registered, more than the total for 2022, which had 2,641 such crimes. Throughout 2023, nearly 5,200 offenses targeting Jews or Jewish institutions in Germany were reported, double the number from the previous year.
The statistics underscore a worrying trend of rising extremism and intolerance in Germany, with both right-wing and left-wing extremist crimes on the rise. The government’s efforts to combat extremism and prosecute offenders swiftly have become increasingly important to address the growing threat of hate crimes and violence. Faeser’s acknowledgment of the AfD’s role in fostering a climate of resentment and violence highlights the need for political parties and leaders to actively counter extremist rhetoric and promote tolerance and inclusivity in society. The increase in anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic crimes further underscores the urgent need for measures to address discrimination and intolerance based on religion or ethnicity, and to protect vulnerable communities from hate-motivated violence.
