Germany is experiencing an alarming surge in knife-related violence, with current statistics revealing 79 knife attacks occurring daily across the country. Recent incidents include multiple stabbings involving foreign nationals, highlighting a growing crisis that criminal experts say stems largely from imported cultural norms.
Criminal attorney Udo Vetter has voiced concerns about the changing social dynamics, noting that knives have become commonplace
accessories, particularly among young people who carry them as routinely as mobile phones. Vetter emphasizes that in certain cultures, knives are viewed as status symbols, a perspective that has been introduced into German society through immigration.
The situation appears to be worsening, with recent headlines documenting several violent incidents. These include an attack by a Kosovar individual that left three people injured, including a 12-year-old girl, a near-fatal stabbing at a basketball court, and an incident involving a Syrian asylum seeker who stabbed five people near a student bar in Bielefeld.
Law enforcement officials are increasingly vocal about their concerns. Manuel Ostermann, deputy head of the Federal Police Union, emphasizes the immediate threat to life that knife attacks pose and calls for decisive political action. Similarly, Rainer Wendt, who leads the German Police Union, points to an alarming decrease in the threshold for violence, with knives being drawn even in minor disputes.
Statistical evidence supports these concerns, with official figures showing 29,014 knife-related crimes in total, including 15,741 specific knife attacks. The data indicates a 10.8 percent increase in serious bodily harm involving knives from 2023 to 2024, with foreign nationals significantly overrepresented in the statistics relative to their population share.
The issue has become a focal point of political debate. The
Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has criticized the current Christian Democrat-led government’s approach to border security and immigration control. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel has publicly challenged the effectiveness of the government’s “five-point plan” to address the immigration crisis, pointing to recent violent incidents as evidence of policy failure.
In Baden-Württemberg, AfD parliamentary group leader Anton Baron MdL has accused CDU leadership of hypocrisy, particularly targeting Manuel Hagel. Baron emphasizes the disproportionate involvement of non-German citizens in knife crimes, describing the situation as “alarming.” He argues that while foreigners represent a smaller percentage of the population, they account for a significantly higher proportion of these violent incidents.
The escalating situation has created a concerning cycle, with more citizens reportedly arming themselves with knives for self-defense. This defensive response, according to experts, risks further exacerbating the problem by increasing the overall presence of weapons in society.
Despite repeated warnings from law enforcement and security experts, and promises of stricter deportation policies for criminal migrants, the violence continues to escalate. The phenomenon is increasingly recognized as not merely a crime issue but a complex social challenge tied to immigration and integration policies.
The issue intersects with broader debates about immigration policy, border control, and social integration in Germany. While various political factions propose different solutions, from increased border security to stricter enforcement of existing laws, the knife violence epidemic remains a pressing concern for German society, with no clear resolution in sight.