German police have a problem finding and arresting violent neo-Nazis. The government admitted as much.
The German government has admitted that police in the country have a hard time finding and arresting violent neo-Nazis. Officials said 467 neo-Nazis are at large throughout the country despite active warrants for their arrest.
As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, the government acknowledged the figures in a response to a parliamentary request for information by the opposition Left Party.
Of the 467 neo-Nazis, 32 are thought to have fled Germany to hide out abroad. An additional seven perpetrators of far-right crimes in Germany are wanted by security authorities from other countries.
According to the response, the number of neo-Nazis wanted by German police has nearly doubled in the past four years. The government cited the massive influx of refugees as one reason for the spike. Far-right attacks against asylum centres, it said, have increased significantly since 2015.
Left Party lawmaker Ulla Jelpke criticised law enforcement for failing to reduce overall numbers. She told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that “the security authorities need to think of something to capture these fugitive Nazis more quickly”.
