More than a million Muslims in Germany with a 'migrant background' are at risk of being radicalised, study finds
Experts at the University of Münster's Research Centre for Islamic Theology last week shared the results of a survey it conducted to gauge socio-political views of Muslims with a 'migration background' across the country.
Their study found that 19.9% of almost 1,900 respondents in the representative survey exhibited an emotional state that is ripe for radicalisation, based on strong anti-Western, anti-Semitic attitudes and a 'resentment' of German politics and societal norms, German media reported.
'Migration background' is a term used in Germany to refer to first-generation migrants and their offspring.
There are more than 5.5 million Muslims in Germany with such a background, suggesting that one million people could be susceptible to being radicalised, according to Die Welt.
Of the nearly 20% of respondents that researchers claimed could be targets for radicalisation, a third reportedly support violence in response to perceived injustices against Muslims.
A majority of these respondents also said they felt that Islamic Sharia law was far superior to German law and want Islam to be the 'sole and final political authority' in Germany, according to media reports.
Speaking to German outlet NOZ, Münster-based religious psychologist Sarah Demmrich said: 'With the emotional state of resentment, we were able to uncover a new and even strong factor in radicalisation.
'The capacity for criticism within Islam must be strengthened in order to promote reflective debates on religious and social issues,' she said.
MailOnline has contacted the research centre for comment.
The emergence of the research by the Centre for Islamic Theology comes weeks after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz scrapped his nation's open border policy and issued orders to turn undocumented migrants away at the frontiers.
Alexander Dobrindt, Merz's new interior minister, rescinded former Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 order, which had previously allowed hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers to enter Germany.
The new rules will now see everyone without proper documentation, apart from children and pregnant women, turned away if they try to enter Germany from a neighbouring country.
Merz also moved to initiate a process to allow for the deportation of Syrian migrants following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime late last year.
The Chancellor, who made the order on his first day in office early May, pledged during the election to crack down on migration.
To implement the new measures, Dobrint ordered a massive increase in border force personnel, with local media reporting that a further 3,000 cops are being brought in for a total of 14,000 border guards.
'It's clear that we want to take stronger steps against illegal immigration and the result must be that we deploy a bigger police presence at the borders for that. The numbers remain significantly too high,' Dobrint said.
Merz defended the policy, saying: 'The European Union must send a signal to those who are setting off for Europe without valid entry permits.
'Above all, we need to send a signal to the smuggling organisations that these routes will become much more difficult in the future - and that at some point, they will be closed altogether. That is the right and strong common signal.'
Suspected illegal migrants sit on the ground after they were detained by German police during their patrol along the German-Polish border to prevent illegal migration
Merz last month succeeded his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, whose government collapsed six months ago.
Scholz, too, had been under pressure to curb migration as shelters across the country had been filling up for years.
His government tried to speed up asylum procedures and also negotiated agreements for countries to take unsuccessful asylum seekers back in exchange for more opportunities for legal immigration.
In February, Scholz extended strict border controls brought in to tackle migration and Islamist terrorism by a further six months past their planned expiry in March.
According to the EU, member states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls in cases of a serious threat, such as internal security.
But the regulations stipulate that border controls should be time-limited and applied as a last resort in exceptional situations.
Recent attacks on German soil refocused attention on security and immigration ahead of the election earlier this year.
In December, the country was rocked by an attack in Bavaria, when an Afghan asylum seeker allegedly stabbed a two-year-old boy and a passerby to death in a German park.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Five years in jail for giving people smugglers social media boost
Anyone caught promoting people smugglers' services in social media posts will face up to five years in jail under new offences announced by the Government. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is to change the law to criminalise the creation of online content which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of UK immigration law. The new offence, to be introduced through an amendment to Labour's borders bill, will cover small boat crossings, the creation of fake travel documents such as passports or visas, or promising the chance to work illegally in the UK. It will also become a crime to post online content that encourages someone to break UK immigration law in exchange for money. This would cover someone being paid by a people smuggler to post material on social media which promotes illegal journeys to the UK. It will also be punishable by up to five years in jail. The new offences come as the Home Office revealed around 80 per cent of small boat migrants told officials they used social media during their illegal journey to the UK, including to locate or communicate with an agent or facilitator associated with a people-smuggling gang. More than 25,400 migrants have crossed the Channel to the UK so far this year in 432 small boats, up 50 per cent on last year's figure and the highest number since the first arrivals in 2018. Some 5,454 have made it in July alone in 80 boats. Ms Cooper said: 'Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral. 'These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them – wherever they operate. 'We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs and this move, part of our plan for change to boost border security, will empower law enforcement to disable these tactics faster and more effectively, ensuring people face proper penalties.' The National Crime Agency (NCA) has smashed crime gangs using social media accounts to promote crossing, including a pair of men from Wales who ran an operation through Europe labelled ' Tripadvisor for people smugglers '. Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, brought about 100 migrants illegally to Europe each week over a period of two years and offered them bronze, silver, gold and platinum packages, depending on risk. They were convicted after pleading guilty to people-smuggling midway through their trial. A platinum package could get you a flight, whereas silver might land you a 'comfortable ride' in the back of a lorry. Migrants from the Middle East heading to Europe rated their journeys in videos filmed inside lorries, boats and even on planes. Investigators found the video reviews on the phones of the smugglers themselves, seemingly made as promotional material. Another network operated by Amanj Hasan Zada, a Preston-based smuggler later jailed for 17 years, also posted videos of migrants thanking him for helping them. Albanian gangs have used social media to promote £12,000 'package deals' to Britain, including accommodation and employment upon arrival. Since December 2021, the NCA has worked with social media companies to remove 22,000 posts promoting organised immigration crime. More than 8,000 were removed in 2024, a 40 per cent increase on the previous year. It follows measures introduced as part of the Online Safety Act under which social media companies have been required to prevent and remove adverts by people smugglers for small boat crossings of the Channel or face jail and multi-million pound fines under new laws. Under the Act, two current offences involving modern slavery or exploitation and aiding and abetting crossings have become 'priority' offences in the bill. This means social media firms have to proactively prevent the adverts from being posted and remove any that are put up. If they fail to do so, Ofcom, the watchdog, has powers to fine them up to 10 per cent of their global turnover, equivalent to £9.7 billion for Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The watchdog Ofcom will also be able to block their services in the UK.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
What does it mean to be an ‘authentic conservative'? Three writers give their view
Kemi Badenoch has urged Conservative MPs to'take an authentically conservative position'. What does that mean? Paul Goodman recently wrote in our pages on how he interprets the phrase. We have now asked three more Conservative politicians (who also happen to be conservative thinkers) to write on how they interpret it. Bill Cash was Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee between 2010 and 2024 and Shadow Attorney General between 2001 and 2003; Jesse Norman is shadow Leader of the House and a biographer of Edmund Burke and Adam Smith; Neil O'Brien is shadow minister for policy renewal and development. Bill Cash: it is about affirming our democratic sovereignty The Conservative Party's authenticity comes from values and principles that serve the national interest. This has been the case since Edmund Burke. Reform, with their misleading claims and no solutions, has gained some traction on us. But all is not lost. Our beliefs have sustained us for 250 years: when Robert Peel resigned in the national interest because his party in Parliament would not repeal the Corn Laws, his nemesis Benjamin Disraeli ultimately agreed and stated: 'The Tory Party is a national party or it is nothing.' Disraeli then came to accept John Bright's campaign and a successful extension of the franchise for modern democracy in 1867. Winston Churchill preferred 'country first, constituency second, party third.' Margaret Thatcher in 1975 replaced Heath and, later, at the Bruges speech in 1988, paved the way for our restoration of democratic self-government on the European issue. This was despite opposition from within her Cabinet. Boris Johnson ensured Brexit and removed the whip from 27 Remainers in the Party in 2019 who sided with Labour. Authentic Conservatism thus includes rejecting subjugation to European Union laws and jurisdiction, and promotes the Brexit freedoms by self-government and prosperity through small businesses and deregulation, lower taxation, property ownership and inheritance, family values, free speech, proportional fairness not wokery, defence with Nato and the full restoration of the Union itself, including Northern Ireland and border control. It includes overcoming the catastrophes of net and illegal migration. This means leaving the ECHR, with clear and unambiguous Acts of Parliament to override international law on the Supreme Court's own principle of legality. The Conservative Party must now decisively insist on being united in getting this principle right and repudiating Keir Starmer's EU/UK reset with its dynamic alignment which undermines the authentic Conservative insistence on democratic sovereignty. Jesse Norman: it is about practical solutions that serve Britain Conservatism in Britain has never been a slogan or a cult of personality. It is a tradition arising from our history, our Parliament and our constitution. At its best, conservatism distrusts ideology and its easy certainties, let alone the rootless and corrosive flattery of populism. Real conservatism is practical. It knows that our liberties and prosperity come from hard work, and the long grind of political reform. It respects the grain of this country: our armed forces, schools and, yes, universities; the Church, the charities and local councils that knit communities together. It insists that the Government should help people to take responsibility for their lives, not grab powers to itself. As a political party, the Conservatives have been repeatedly attacked for their record after 2010. But in many places the story is a notable one and worthy of robust defence: the long, slow recovery from the global financial crisis to which Labour had left this country so exposed; massively effective schools reform; the gradual introduction of universal credit, which performed brilliantly during the pandemic; our immediate and resolute support for Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia in 2022. Why did these initiatives succeed? Because they were inspired by core conservative principles of fiscal prudence, the desire to reform public services and the defence of Europe. But Conservatives should also accept that some decisions after 2010 were not conservative. Interventions in Libya and Syria were marked more by speed than prudence. Major projects such as HS2 were launched without the care and scrutiny they demanded. Net zero was agreed after one short Commons debate. Inadequate steps were taken to curb legal and illegal migration. A succession of referendums unsettled our constitutional balance and exposed deep national divisions. The lesson is clear. Conservatism works when it is steady, serious, and focused on practical solutions that reflect its core belief in preserving what is best in British society. Neil O'Brien: it is about accountability Conservatives believe in accountability. Since the Blair era we have seen far too much power handed to law courts, quangos and international bodies that aren't accountable to the British public. Power without accountability means bad decisions. This has created a topsy-turvy, two-tier Britain: the rights of prolific criminals, illegal immigrants and benefit claimants are prioritised over the rights of the law-abiding and hard-working. Rule by lawyers also explains why we can't cut welfare spending or build the infrastructure we need to grow. We also believe in order. The first duty of the Government is to keep citizens safe. That means a return to no-nonsense policing. We should be focused on catching criminals, not policing what people say or think. And it means ending endless community sentences and slaps on the wrist for serious crimes. Conservatives know that a disorderly environment breeds anti-social behaviour and crime. Yet under Labour our capital stinks of weed, tube trains are covered in graffiti and petty crimes like fare dodging are becoming normalised. Conservatives believe in the nation. We took back control from the EU. We must now drastically cut immigration. As Kemi Badenoch says: the country must be 'a home, not a hotel'. We can't have a strong, united nation with a transient and constantly churning population. We also believe in the family and individual responsibility. Fairness means people getting what they deserve based on their individual actions and merits. People should be able to build something up – a family home, a farm, a business, some savings – without it being plundered by the Government. It means welfare for those who really need it, not a system that costs taxpayers ever more and traps people in a cycle of dependency. And conservatives believe in free markets. Under Labour we are in an economic doom loop. Higher taxation and more regulation lead to stagnation. Higher borrowing sends the Chancellor scrambling for yet higher taxes. Massive changes are needed to break out of this spiral, and make Britain a good place to grow a business. We believe in sound money: unlike others, we will not make fantasy promises that can never be delivered.
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Clampdown on social media ads for Channel crossings unveiled
Why you can trust Sky News Anyone who advertises Channel crossings or fake passports on social media could face up to five years in prison under new government plans. Research suggests about 80% of migrants arriving to the UK by small boat used internet platforms during their journey - including to contact agents linked to smuggling gangs. While it is already illegal to assist illegal immigration, ministers hope the creation of a new offence will give police more powers and disrupt business models. 1:42 Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is also planning to introduce a fast-track scheme to tackle the asylum backlog, meaning decisions will be made within weeks. It comes as official figures show more than 25,000 people have arrived on small boats so far in 2025 - a record for this point in the year. Ms Cooper said it is "immoral" for smugglers to sell false promises online, adding: "These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. "We are determined to do everything we can to stop them, wherever they operate." The new offence prohibiting the online promotion of Channel crossings is set to be included in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill already going through Parliament. 0:27 Officials from the National Crime Agency already work with tech giants to remove such posts - with more than 8,000 taken offline last year. A Preston-based smuggler who was jailed for 17 years had posted videos of migrants thanking him for his help. Meanwhile, Albanian smugglers have created promotions for £12,000 "package deals" which claim to offer accommodation and a job in the UK on arrival. The Conservatives have described the measures as "too little, too late" - and say automatic deportations are the only way to tackle small boat crossings. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "Labour still has no clear plan to deter illegal entry, no effective enforcement and no strategy to speed up removals. This is a panicked attempt to look tough after months of doing nothing." 0:49 It comes as protests outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers continue in towns and cities across the UK. Several demonstrators were detained - with police breaking up brief clashes - outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in north London yesterday. The government is legally required to provide accommodation and subsistence to destitute asylum seekers while their claims are being decided, most of whom are prohibited from working.
