Over 500 right-wing extremists are wanted in Germany, the country’s Interior Ministry said on Monday.

In an answer to the Left Party's parliamentary question, the ministry said as many as 568 far-right extremists, including 145 people who committed violent crimes, are sought by Germany as of March 31.

At least 79 of the wanted have fled abroad, the ministry added.

According to a 2021 report by the German domestic intelligence service (BfV), there are approximately 33,900 far-right extremists in Germany, of which 13,500 are “violent.”

The report noted that far-right extremists increased by 1.8% compared to 2020, the highest level since the statistics were kept.

In recent years, the country has witnessed growing racism and xenophobia fueled by the propaganda of far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim groups, including the main opposition party Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

Human rights groups have long criticized authorities for underestimating the threat and not seriously investigating crimes committed by neo-Nazis.​​​​​​​/agencies