Germany’s security agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warned that 7,900 Salafi jihadists within the country may attempt to recruit asylum seekers, including children, to join in terrorist activities.
The agency reported the number of jihadists has risen from 7,500 in June.
“We are very concerned Islamists in Germany are trying, under the cover of humanitarian assistance, to exploit the situation of the refugees for their own ends to proselytize and recruit among asylum-seekers,” agency head Hans-Georg Maassen said, the U.K.’s Express reported.
So far 740 radical Islamists have left Germany to join jihadist ranks in Syria and Iraq, and 20 percent of them were female. Around one-third returned to Germany, while about 120 of them have been killed, the paper reported.
Mr. Maassen said spies are keeping a close watch on the jihadists given their “significant radicalization potential” within the migrant community.
“We are keeping a particularly close eye on unaccompanied minors among the refugees, who could be easy targets for Islamists,” he added.
Germany has taken in 80,000 refugees in recent weeks, and not all of them are from Syria. Sky News reported many refugees seeking asylum in Germany have traveled from Afghanistan, Senegal, Albania, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
As many as 1 million refugees are expected to arrive by the end of the year.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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