Pegida marches in Munich | Johannes Simon/Getty Images German police chief: Rising violence against refugees a ‘concern’ Holger Münch says there were 45 arson attacks on refugee shelters in 2016.

The head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office warned on Saturday of a new dimension to attacks on asylum-seekers in the country.

In an interview with the Funke media group, Holger Münch said the "increasing level of violence was especially of concern," including 45 arson attacks on refugee shelters in 2016 alone.

"The perpetrators are predominantly male, and nearly 80 percent come from the place where the offense was committed," he said.

Münch added that there was no sign that the attacks were connected to right-wing extremist groups in Germany. However, there was a risk that "criminal or even terrorist structures" could stem from anti-refugee sentiment within the country, a fact the German police were taking "very seriously," he explained.

In recent months, Germany has seen a rise in opposition to the government's welcoming policy on refugees, with anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim party Alternative for Germany (AfD) scoring big at the recent regional elections.

Münch called on the religious leaders in the Muslim community to work more closely with authorities to prevent and counter radicalization.

"We do not sense any objections to the work of the police," he said but added that the police "need more commitment here - from imams as well."

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