Significant number of German police prejudiced against Muslims: Study

BERLIN (AA) – Interim results of a study on attitudes of police officers in Germany show that a significant number of police officers are prejudiced against Muslims.

According to the interim results recently released, 18% of German police officers said they feel as if Germany is being “overrun” by foreigners.

A total of 13% agreed with the statement that Muslim culture fits in with Germany, while just under half of the sample disagreed, and just under 40% were ambivalent.

Some 4% “fully agreed” with the statement, “The many Muslims here sometimes make me feel like a stranger in my own country,” while 13% “somewhat agreed” and 21% expressed ambivalence.

Researchers from the German Police University had been commissioned by the Interior Ministry to interview police officers from almost all German states and the federal government about their experiences and world views, and to observe them in their everyday work.

Germany is one of those European countries where Islamophobia has been on a steep rise. According to a survey by the German Council of Experts on Integration and Migration presented in the fall of 2022, one-half of the 15,000 respondents to the survey expressed anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic attitudes.