As more and more Germans are finding it difficult to cope well with the wave of migration after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened borders to admit refugees (mostly Muslims), Islamophobia in Germany is rising, Reuters reported, citing a new survey.
According to the findings of the survey that questioned 2,420 people, one in two (50%) respondents said they sometimes felt like a foreigner in their own country as the Muslim population was increasing. This points to an increase from 43 percent in 2014 and 30.2 percent in 2009.
The number of Germans who believe Muslims should be stopped from entering Germany also increased considerably from about 20 percent in 2009 to about 40 percent now.
The study examined extreme right-wing views towards other groups in Germany.
"While general prejudice against migrants fell slightly, the focus of resentment towards asylums seekers, Muslims as well as Sinti and Roma, increased," the study's authors said.
Nearly 60 percent respondents admitted that they believe Sinti and Roma peoples gravitate towards criminality.
It also suggests that more than 80 percent of respondents wanted the state to be stricter when examining asylum applications.
Almost 40 percent of respondents from east Germany and 30 percent respondents from West
Germany felt that migrants are going to steal social welfare benefits.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Leipzig in co-operation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation, the Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation and the Otto-Brenner foundation also said the number of attacks on refugee shelters has also risen.
German President Joachim Gauck also warned against demonising Muslims when he joined a Ramadan dinner in Berlin on Monday.
The opposition party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), reportedly has described Islam as incompatible with the German constitution and wants to ban minarets and the burqa.
The survey also found that voters of the green party were most likely to disagree with the statement that Muslims made them feel like foreigners.
The influx of migrants has led to a bitter political feud, leading the ruling party to accuse the leadership of the opposition, AfD, to be mimicking Adolf Hitler.
According to reports, another study published last year suggested that crime rates in Norway dropped by 31% after they deported Muslim immigrants.
Germany has also witnessed Anti-Islam rallies with more than thousands of participants similar to rallies in England and in many other parts of Europe, suggesting right wing hysteria is trumping over secular values.
