Quote:The number of immigrant criminal suspects in Germany rocketed by more than 50 per cent in 2016, according to new data from its Interior Ministry.

Figures published this week confirm that police hunted 174,000 suspects classed as immigrants during 2016 – up 52.7 per cent on the previous year.

The ministry also stated that crimes motivated by Islamism increased by 13.7 per cent. Among these was last December’s Berlin Christmas market attack, in which 12 people were murdered and 56 were injured when failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri drove a stolen truck into crowds who were out shopping.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that crimes committed by refugees had ‘increased disproportionately’ last year.