A good thousand suspected right-wing extremists had weapons permits in 2022

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Photo: Jiri Hera / PantherMedia / IMAGO

Last year, a total of 1,051 suspected right-wing extremists and around 400 so-called "Reich citizens" and "self-administrators" were known to have at least one weapons license. In addition, 181 suspected right-wing extremists had their weapons permits revoked or returned after pressure from the authorities. This emerges from a response from the federal government to a request from left-wing MPs, which was reported by the Editorial Network Germany (RND) and which has already been published by the Bundestag. Final figures for the past year are not yet available.

In an earlier answer, the government had named 1,561 right-wing extremists and around 500 “Reich citizens” and “self-administrators” with weapons permits at the end of 2021. However, she had also pointed out at the time that the numbers were constantly varying due, among other things, to the "continuous updating of corresponding data sets in the files of the constitutional protection authorities."

The government writes that since the establishment of the “Reich Citizens” and “Self-Administrators” phenomenon area in November 2016 until December 31, 2022, around 1,125 weapons licenses have been revoked. “Reich citizens” are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic and its democratic structures. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution counted around 23,000 people across Germany in 2022 as belonging to the “Reich Citizens” and “Self-Administrators” scene.

The Left is pushing for concrete action

In view of the figures, left-wing MP Martina Renner told the RND that “concrete action by the authorities against armed Nazis and ‘Reich citizens’” is needed. It is dangerous that the federal government “is not advancing the necessary measures in gun law and is in danger of failing.”

There was also criticism from the traffic light coalition. “It is embarrassing that this number continues to be at such a high level and a serious security risk,” said the chairman of the Greens in the Interior Committee, Marcel Emmerich. “We must not waste any time here and must tighten gun laws, because enemies of democracy with weapons are a danger.” This has become clear again in the recent raids on so-called “Reich citizens”.

In January last year, after the New Year's Eve riots and the exposed coup plans of a "Reichsbürger" group, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) presented an internal draft for tightening gun laws. The FDP has so far rejected any changes to gun law and is instead focusing on better enforcement of the current law.

col/dpa