Germany to intensify fight against far-right extremism

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany will step up its fight against right-wing extremism, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Tuesday, following a number of incidents this year.

“Germany has to become more active against the far-right," Seehofer said at a press briefing in Berlin to introduce new measures.

He said hundreds of jobs will be created at the police and domestic intelligence service to combat far-right extremism.

"An effective, noticeable and successful fight against right-wing extremism can only be carried out by the authorities if we significantly increase their personnel," he added.

According to German authorities, there are at least 12,000 people in the country who are "potentially violent in the right-wing area."

Seehofer's remarks come in the wake of an unprecedented wave of xenophobic, racial and Islamophobic attacks in Germany.

"We are witnessing a worrisome racism, a growing intolerance, a wave of hate crimes," Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted as saying earlier this month.

Germany has seen a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in recent years fueled by hate propaganda of far-right parties.

Police recorded 813 hate crimes against Muslims last year, including verbal insults, threatening letters and physical attacks which led to the injury of at least 54 Muslims.