Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Germany should expect high numbers of refugees to come to the country for some years to come.

"As long as the big crises continue in Syria and Iraq, we can probably expect high numbers of refugees from crisis regions for many years," de Maiziere said in an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" published on Saturday.

De Maiziere also said Germany was well-positioned to cope with the problem and pointed out that countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan had taken in millions of people seeking protection.

"As a wealthy country, Germany is not at all overburdened in comparison, but still faces a challenge," he said.

Western Balkan problem

De Maiziere, however, criticized as "inacceptable" the fact that some 40 percent of asylum seekers in Germany came from countries in the western Balkans.

"The most important thing is to drastically reduce their number," he said, calling the current situation there a "disgrace for Europe."

He said he would introduce a draft bill declaring more Balkan countries to be "safe countries of origin" as soon as there was a majority in favor of this in Germany's upper chamber, the Bundesrat.

In the first half of 2015, more than 179,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, according to figures from the Interior Ministry. The largest number, 34,500, came from Syria, followed in second to fourth place by asylum seekers from Kosovo, Albania and Serbia.

Most people applying for asylum from these countries are repatriated, as they are usually not considered to be politically persecuted. In 2014, Interior Ministry statistics show that just 1.8 percent of applicants received asylum status, while another 24 percent of people applying for shelter in Germany were recognized as refugees deserving protection.

Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia Herzegovina were declared "safe" in a controversial ruling by Germany in September last year, making it easier for authorities so send back asylum seekers from those countries.

The minister said the large number of asylum seekers from western Balkan countries was still meeting with incomprehension in Germany.

"It is very understandable that people ask critical questions," he said.

More attacks

At the same time, de Maiziere condemned the growing number of attacks on accommodation for asylum seekers in Germany, saying it was necessary "to take a firm stance" against such incidents.

His remarks came after suspected arsonists set fire to an empty building near the western city of Karlsruhe that is projected to be a home for asylum seekers. Police said damage was caused to the tune of 70,000 euros ($75,800).

Police said they were acting on the "suspicion of deliberate arson."

Germany has seen several attacks on refugee accommodation over the past few months.

In recent incidents, a fire was laid in a planned refugee home in Reichertshofen in the southern state of Bavaria overnight to Thursday, destroying an outbuilding but leaving the home itself undamaged, according to police.

A few days before that, several shots were fired at an asylum seekers' residence in Böhlen in the eastern state of Saxony. No one was injured in the attack.

tj/sms (AFP, epd, KNA)