German state minister blames rise in crime on migrant population

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann has pointed to the state's growing migrant population as a significant factor driving a recent surge in criminal activity across the German state.

Presenting the annual crime statistics compiled by Bavarian state police on Monday, Herrmann acknowledged that while the state remains relatively safe overall, the figures revealed a concerning upward trend. He directly attributed much of this increase to offenses committed by foreign nationals, Remix News reports.

"We will not accept the increase in crime, even if it is a nationwide trend for which foreigners and immigrants are particularly responsible," Herrmann said in a statement.

The data shows that 39.6 percent of the 266,390 crime suspects in Bavaria last year were non-German citizens, despite foreigners comprising only 16 percent of the state's population. This marks a 20.5 percent rise from 2022 when 32,037 immigrants were identified as suspects.

Theft cases climbed 10.5 percent, while burglaries spiked 20.8 percent and assaults rose 6.6 percent year-over-year. Sexual offenses, including a 14.6 percent jump in child pornography crimes, totaled 16,438 incidents, up 2.6 percent.

Offenses occurring near asylum seeker accommodations surged 21.9 percent to 6,943, most commonly categorized as violent attacks, assaults on authorities, and drug-related offenses.

"The crime statistics make it clear that uncontrolled immigration also has a negative impact on the security situation," Herrmann stated, urging swift deportation of foreign nationals deemed threats after serving sentences.

The interior minister called on the federal government to turn away illegal migrants at borders "even if they apply for asylum." He also vowed stronger policing of Bavaria's internal borders, with plans to increase the border force to 1,500 officers by 2028.

"We will fight not only illegal migration and smugglers, but all cross-border crime more intensively," Herrmann concluded.