Berlin authorities have reported a sharp increase in violent incidents targeting asylum seekers and refugee accommodations, raising concerns over the city’s handling of rising far-right extremism and a shift towards stricter immigration policies.
Data released following a request by Green party lawmakers revealed that in 2024, Berlin recorded 77 assaults against asylum seekers and eight cases of vandalism directed at refugee housing facilities. This marks a substantial rise compared to 2023, which saw 32 attacks on individuals and no reported attacks on shelters, according to Green Party deputy Ario Ebrahimpour Mirzaie.
The assaults resulted in 34 individuals requiring hospital treatment, including 16 women, 14 men, two girls, and two unidentified males. Police identified 37 suspects linked to the physical attacks, 11 of whom were already known to law enforcement. However, authorities reported no leads regarding the property damage cases.
Jian Omar, another Green Party legislator involved in bringing the figures to light, described the situation as a “wake-up call” and urged the government to implement stronger protective measures for refugees. He called for increased police presence at vulnerable residences, greater preventative efforts, and policies specifically aimed at combating right-wing violence.
Berlin currently hosts approximately 35,000 registered refugees in formal accommodation centres, alongside another 10,000 housed in emergency shelters such as those at the former Tegel and Tempelhof airports. Conditions in many of these facilities have faced repeated criticism for being overcrowded and substandard.
Officials from the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) assured that security measures, including 24-hour personnel, were already in place at most facilities. Meanwhile, the city has seen a 35% drop in new refugee arrivals in early 2025, with most newcomers originating from Vietnam, Moldova, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Syria. Ukrainian arrivals have also declined compared to 2024.
The troubling local figures reflect a broader national trend. According to preliminary data from Germany’s Interior Ministry, the number of politically motivated attacks on refugee shelters rose to 218 in 2024 from 167 the previous year. However, federal data showed a slight decrease in assaults against individual asylum seekers.
Clara Bünger, a parliamentarian from the left-wing Linke party, criticized the government’s response, accusing political leaders and segments of the public of passivity toward the persistent hostility faced by refugees. Bünger attributed the continued violence to the spread of anti-migrant sentiment by far-right and mainstream political forces alike.
The rise in attacks has intensified demands for more decisive action against hate crimes and better protections for vulnerable refugee communities across Germany.
