Germany reports rise in number of far-right extremists

BERLIN

Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) on Tuesday warned of a rise in the number of far-right extremists and growing radicalization among them.

Presenting its annual intelligence report at a press conference in Berlin, BfV chief Thomas Haldenwang said far-right groups are trying to win more supporters by playing up fears of migration and international conflicts.

“The potential number of right-wing extremists in Germany last year rose to 40,600, an increase of 4.6%. The number of those classified as violence-oriented has risen to 14,500, up 3.6%,” he said.

Haldenwang also said that there has been a rise in violent attacks committed by right-wing extremists.

“The number of violent crimes – and this is particularly worth mentioning again – has risen 13% to 1,148,” he said, adding that 1,016 of them were serious offenses involving bodily injury, including four attempted homicides.