Hundreds injured in attacks against migrants and refugees in Germany

The government of Germany has strongly condemned the violence against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

The Interior Minister gave official figures which show that more than 3,500 attacks on individuals and asylum hostels happened in 2016.

Last year, 560 people were injured in these attacks, including 43 children.

There were 988 attacks on housing.

There were other 217 cases of violence against refugee organisations and volunteers.

NUMBER OF ARRIVALS FELL DRASTICALLY

In 2016, 280,000 asylum seekers arrived in Germany. The year before, the number of arrivals was 600,000.

Attacks against individual migrants only started to be counted as a separate category in 2016.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been both criticised and praised for her government’s refugee politics, which has been much more open than most of the other EU countries.

“MOST ASYLUM SEEKERS DO NOT TURN TO CRIME”

Commenting on these figures, the Socio-political representative of the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA), Julia Doxat-Purser, said: “Truth means looking at uncomfortable news. Some Muslims are terrorists, most are not. Some asylum seekers turn to crime or riot (including in Sweden), most do not”.

“Some asylum seekers don't deserve to be granted asylum, but many 1000s (of every faith) are now being returned to dangerous situations”, the Christian expert says.

‘ALTERNATIVE FACTS’ LEAD TO ANGER

The absence of an in-depth debate can have worrying effects in Europe. “All the anger and emotion and alternative facts from every end of the political spectrum is poisoning society and making it harder to understand what is really going on”.

Violence against migrants and refugees is happening, said Doxat-Purser. “It's not fake. And it's one of the results of the poison. What will happen next? We need to pray”.

To analyse the situation in Europe, the EEA launched the Refugee campaign.

Read more opinions of Christian experts on the issue of refugees in Europe.