The number of attacks on migrants and refugees in Berlin surged in 2024, reaching 77 cases of assaults and 8 incidents of housing damage. As a result, 34 people — including 14 men, 16 women, and two girls — required hospital treatment. This marks a doubling of attacks compared to 2023, which recorded 32 assaults and no attacks on housing. The data was provided in response to a request from two local deputies of the Green Party.
According to official figures, authorities have identified 37 suspects in the attacks on refugees, including 11 individuals already known to the police. However, they have not yet apprehended the perpetrators responsible for attacks on refugee shelters. Local Green Party MP Jian Omar described the figures as a wake-up call, stating: “We demand a clear protection plan for refugees, a visible police presence in vulnerable accommodations, comprehensive preventive measures, and above all, policies that clearly recognize and decisively combat right-wing violence.”
Officials at the Refugee Affairs Office report that all refugee residences have violence prevention plans and permanent security personnel. Currently, Berlin has over 35,000 refugees registered in reception centers, along with an additional 10,000 refugees living in emergency shelters.
In February 2025, the Ministry of Interior reported a rising trend of attacks on refugees. In 2024, there were 218 politically motivated attacks on refugee shelters, an increase from 167 in 2023. Additionally, far-right crimes rose by 17%, with the ministry receiving 33,963 reports of crimes, which included 1,136 violent attacks. However, official statistics indicate a decrease in attacks on asylum seekers, dropping from 2,488 in 2023 to 1,905 in 2024.
Left-wing MP Clara Bünger called on the government to urgently address the issue of attacks on refugees. Bünger stated, “The number of insults, threats, and attacks against refugees has been alarmingly high for years, and it is outrageous that these conditions are met with indifference by many politicians and members of the public.”
At the beginning of April, the Immigration and Asylum Office announced a significant 35% decrease in the number of refugees arriving in Berlin during the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Berlin received only 1,761 people, the majority of whom came from Turkey, Syria, Moldova, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, the number of Ukrainians — who are exempt from asylum procedures — also declined, with 1,722 arrivals in January and February 2025, compared to 1,611 during the same period in 2024.
