ABSTRACT
Xenophobia and hostility against foreigners is a general phenomenon which basically has nothing to do with conflict of cultures. The 'conflict of cultures' so far takes place at a phenomenological level with no interactional background. Xenophobic notions are to a large degree justified by describing foreigners as notorious criminals or at least charging them with a high propensity to crime. Crimes committed against someone only because he or she is or looks like a foreigner have not only been on the increase in Germany, but in other European countries as well. Looking at EU foreigners as criminals in Germany, the total numbers and actual percentages relative to German or other foreign offenders have no significance whatsoever. Germany may once again be used as an example pars pro toto because this country not only hosts a high number of ethnic Turkish people but also shares a long border with a number of neighbouring Eastern European countries.
