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Fewer refugees arrived in Germany in 2016 yet assaults on asylum seekers and vandalism of their homes remained at a high level.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sparked mass protests in her home nation after more than one million migrants arrived to benefit from her open door policy.

A string of terror attacks, sex assaults and attacks on German nationals prompted an outcry from right-wing groups which called for an end to migration.

Counter demonstrations were held and in 2015 the number of attacks rose dramatically.

On Christmas Eve, at 3:30am, explosives were thrown at a refugee camp in Haldensleben near Magdeburg by “three or four darkly dressed men”.