German intelligence services have released a new report claiming that militant fighters from the extremist Hezbollah terrorist organisation were able to hide among asylum seekers during the height of the migrant crisis and smuggle themselves into Germany.
The report claims that many of the migrants fought for Shi’ite militia groups in Syria who largely worked with Hezbollah and Iran to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Whilst is it not entirely known how many Hezbollah militants have come to Germany as asylum seekers, the report estimates there to be 950 operatives of the group, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The intelligence report also claims that in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia membership of Hezbollah and the terror group Hamas has increased since last year. The number of Hezbollah members going from 100 in 2015 to 105 in 2016 and Hamas members increased from 65 to 75 over the same period.
The report comes only a year after German intelligence admitted that hundreds of Islamic State fighters had also smuggled themselves into Europe by hiding among asylum seekers.
It is currently unknown why the German government allows the members of each group to roam free as Hamas is considered a terrorist group by both the European Union and the United States. Hezbollah, on the other hand, is divided by German intelligence into its militant wing and its political wing though countries like Canada and the United States make no distinction between the two.
Hamas members, according to the report, are also linked to the NGO Palestinian Community in Germany (PGD) which holds events and holds fundraisers for the Hamas members.
Hezbollah is usually most visible in Germany during the annual anti-Semitic al-Quds Day parade in Berlin where activists are regularly seen waving the Hezbollah flag.
Berlin mayor Michael Müller said last month that he would consider legal action against the march which he called the “hate-driven al-Quds Day march”.
Müller also hit out against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign saying: “BDS stands with antisemitic signs in front of Berlin businesses. Those are intolerable methods from the Nazi period. We will do everything possible to withdraw money and rooms for BDS’s anti-Israel agitation.”