Non-German murder suspects rise: report
September 3, 2018
Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has recorded an increase of closed murder cases in 2017 involving at least one "non-German" suspect, Welt Am Sonntag reported on Sunday.
The number rose to 83 last year, up from 62 the year before, marking a 33 percent increase.
The figures solely comprise closed cases. The BKA's 2017 report did not specify nationality or whether a suspect was an EU citizen.
More refugees killed
In total, 731 people died as a result of murder or manslaughter in 2017, a 16.6 percent drop compared to 2016. That year, the figure stood at 876.
However, the number of asylum-seekers or refugees killed rose from 25 in 2016 to 40 in 2017.
A debate about the link between foreign nationals and murder in Germany was triggered by riots in the eastern city of Chemnitz.
Read more: German states look to reintegration to reduce migrant crime
The Chemnitz debate
Last week, a German man was stabbed and later died from his wounds in Chemnitz. A 23-year-old Syrian and a 22-year-old Iraqi man were detained as suspects in the crime and charged with manslaughter.
News of the man's death circulated on social media, triggering protests by far-right sympathizers who, at times, clashed with police. Counterprotests erupted in response.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a statement decrying the riots, saying that "in no square and on no street should it come to rioting."
Read more: Violence in Chemnitz: A timeline of events