German officials say an Afghan teenager is on the road to recovery after a mass brawl at a shelter for asylum seekers. The fighting, involving Afghans and Iraqi Kurds, has prompted an attempted murder investigation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Jaspersen
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A police spokesman said on Monday that the 14-year-old's condition had improved and that he was no longer in a critical condition, the German public broadcaster NDR reported.
The Afghan teenager has been severely kicked and punched in the head during the violence on Saturday evening at a temporary shelter for asylum seekers in the town of Dauelsen, some 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of Hanover.
Police, who on Sunday said they had begun an investigation into attempted murder, aggravated battery and disturbance of the peace, said the teenager's injuries no longer posed a risk to his life and that he had already received visitors.
That fighting came after a similar incident a day earlier at the same facility, police said, with some 14 people injured in total. The Friday night clash, which was allegedly caused by the theft of a loudspeaker, saw as many as 30 people, including Afghan and Iraqi Kurdish migrants, attack each other with iron bars and fire extinguishers, police said. Officers were only able to put down the violence with a large police deployment, the DPA news agency reported.
It is unclear what exactly triggered the second clash, in which some 50 people were said to have taken part brandishing various household implements as weapons. Police said the fight was likely a continuation of Friday night's violence. One 19-year-old suspect was temporarily detained.
Germany took in nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees last year, a number that has stretched resources and accommodation facilities.
BAMF: Asylum applications in Germany continue to rise
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has released the latest figures on asylum applications in Germany. April saw an increase of 2.3 percent in the number of applications filed over March.
Asylum applications steadily increase
A total of 59,680 applications for political asylum were submitted in April, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). In March, 58,315 people applied for asylum.
Image: Brian Leli
Syrians lead again
The highest number of asylum applications were submitted, once again, by Syrian nationals, who are seeking refuge from a bloody civil war in their country. In April, asylum applications by Syrian nationals stood at 25,791 which is a 7.5 percent decrease from March, when 27,878 such applications were submitted.
Image: Fotolia
Syrians most overall, too
According to BAMF, a total of 246,393 applications for political asylum were submitted across Germany from January through April. Syrians top the list, with 116,826.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
Applications from Iraqi nationals increase
Iraqis were second, with 9,505 applications, recording a 5.8 percent increase compared with the 8,982 submitted in March.
Image: DW/R. Shirmohammadi
Afghans stood at No. 3
The month-on-month increase in asylum applications from Afghan nationals was 11.8 percent, with 8,458 applications in April compared with 7,567 a month earlier.
Image: DW/Omid
Applicants with nationality ‘unclear’
The number of applications from people whose nationality is "unclear" stood at 1,299. In March, the number of such applications stood at 1,869. Thus, month-to-month BAMF recorded a decrease of 30.5 percent.
Image: Reuters/A.Konstantinidis
44 percent more applications from Albanians
Albanians were sixth on the list, with 1,188 applications, behind Iranians, at No. 5 with 1,981. Pakistanis filed 1,038 applications, and 1,152 Eritreans appealed their cases.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Shkullaku
Year-on-year comparison
In comparison with March 2015, when 24,504 applications for asylum were submitted, March 2016 saw an increase of nearly 140 percent, with 58,315 applications.
