Right-Wing Extremist Crimes Surge 60% in North Rhine-Westphalia, Report Warns of Growing Threat

The NRW Interior Ministry highlights the rising involvement of youth, increasing digital radicalization, and the emergence of new extremist groups as major concerns.

Right-wing extremist crimes in NRW rose by 60% in 2024, with 5,641 cases reported, including a 33% increase in violent offenses and a 43% rise in hate crimes.
The majority of offenses were propaganda-related (3,511 cases) and incitement of hatred (839 cases), accounting for 78% of all crimes.
The proportion of right-wing extremist suspects aged 14 to 17 nearly tripled in 2024, reflecting the growing appeal of extremist ideology to youth.
Extremists increasingly use digital platforms such as social media for recruitment, propaganda, and radicalization, mirroring trends in other forms of extremism.
New groups like 'Jungen Nationalisten,' 'Rheinlandbande,' and 'Aachen Inferno' have emerged, adding to the evolving and modernized right-wing extremist landscape.

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung