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In Germany, there has been an increase in delayed reported crimes against asylum seekers and refugees, a trend influenced by several key factors.
Since 2015, Germany has seen a significant influx of asylum seekers, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey. Although the number of applications has decreased since the peak in 2016, it remains substantial, with around 86,916 applications as of mid-2025.
Illegal secondary movements within the EU have also complicated the situation, with thousands of migrants moving from Greece to Germany after already receiving protection status elsewhere, straining Germany’s asylum system and border controls.
Political and social tensions around immigration have risen, with a substantial portion of the public expressing a desire for fewer asylum seekers. This sentiment is partly fueled by crime reports, with official police figures indicating that roughly 42% of suspects in crimes are foreign nationals, including 35% who are legal residents or asylum seekers. However, some studies question the existence of a systematic link between migration and crime.
High-profile violent crimes and incidents, such as sexual assaults and terrorist acts involving asylum seekers, have heightened public insecurity and reporting delays. In response, the German government has tightened border controls, increased deportations, and suspended the acceptance of some new asylum applications.
These factors contribute to the distortion of crime statistics, making it appear as though migration has an outsized effect on criminality. Delays in reporting crimes against asylum seekers and refugees may arise from fear, distrust in authorities, social marginalization, or language barriers.
The growing number of asylum applications and mixed statuses (legal, illegal, secondary movements) make the statistical picture complex, with law enforcement facing challenges in accurately categorizing and responding to crime trends. As a result, public perceptions of safety have declined, with only about half of Germans feeling safe in public spaces.
Clara Bünger, interior policy spokeswoman for the Left Party, believes that the normalization of politically motivated crimes against refugees in Germany is a result of a policy that labels refugees as a problem instead of addressing issues like housing shortages, poverty, over-indebted municipalities, and crumbling infrastructure.
In the first half of 2025, the number of crimes targeted against asylum seekers or recognized refugees outside of refugee accommodations has decreased compared to the same period last year. However, the exact role of the Afghan government in the decrease of asylum applications has not been mentioned in the article.
The article does not provide information on the outcome or consequences of the demonstrations organized by neo-Nazi groups in North Rhine-Westphalia and Magdeburg. In the second quarter of 2022, seven demonstrations related to immigration or asylum were held nationwide, which were carried out or dominated by right-wing extremists. The federal government did not provide specific details on the number of participants in the other two demonstrations.
The politics surrounding immigration in Germany have led to a general-news trend of delayed reporting of crimes against asylum seekers and refugees, with some attributing this to fear, distrust in authorities, social marginalization, or language barriers. The crime-and-justice sector is facing challenges in accurately categorizing and responding to crime trends due to the complex nature of asylum applications and mixed immigration statuses.
