In this April 6, 2017 file photo, migrants are rescued from a rubber boat by members of Proactiva Open Arms NGO, in the Mediterranean sea, about 56 miles north of Sabratha, Libya. With the Greek smuggling route largely closed off, the path of least resistance drifted to Libya _ a sprawling lawless country with a huge coast and competing rebel and government factions. Migrants have flooded into Libya from across Africa, producing a bonanza for smugglers. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File) (The Associated Press)
BERLIN – German authorities say there were 169 violent offenses against homes for asylum-seekers last year, almost as many as in 2015, though the figures sank as the year progressed.
The Federal Criminal Police Office said Tuesday that the number of violent offenses compared with 177 the previous years.
In all, authorities counted 994 offenses against asylum shelters in 2016, a little below the previous year's 1,031. The police office said that most of them had a far-right motive.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter that the figures were "deeply shameful."
Germany saw a huge influx of asylum-seekers and other migrants in late 2015 and early 2016. That tailed off about a year ago, and the number of crimes targeting asylum homes declined over the course of the year.
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