Far-right victory in eastern Germany leaves migrants questioning their future

Mamad Mohamad watched the far-right Alternative for Germany sweep to a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt with emotions that were anything but simple. A 46-year-old Green Party member, he is set to become one of the first lawmakers with an immigrant background to enter the state parliament, alongside Mustafa Groener of the Left party.

For Mohamad, who came to Germany from Syria as a 16-year-old Yazidi Kurd in 1996, the result should have been a milestone. Instead, he called it a “poisoned victory.” His heart, he said, was split as early projections showed the AfD exceeding expectations while Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing conservatives suffered a historic low.

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Poisoned victory

The AfD has campaigned for tighter immigration and asylum policies, arguing that Germany has lost control of its borders and that migration is putting pressure on public services, security and social cohesion. Its election manifesto says an AfD-led Saxony-Anhalt would launch a state-level campaign to deport rejected asylum seekers. It also encourages businesses to use artificial intelligence and automation rather than rely on skilled migration from what it calls “culturally alien” backgrounds.

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Culturally alien

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel rejects the accusation that the party’s rhetoric creates a hostile climate for migrants. “Everyone is warmly welcome who contributes positively to our society, who wants to work here, who is qualified, who pays taxes, and who abides by the law,” she said.

The mood in Mohamad’s family was somber the next day. He said his daughter was reluctant to attend school, including schools criticized by the AfD for projects examining threats to democracy. Undra Dressler of the State Network of Migrant Organizations said the result caused anxiety rather than surprise, after years of discrimination and structural barriers affecting work, education, healthcare and public services. “There are many people in our communities who say: ‘We’ve already packed our bags and have concrete plans, and we’ll be leaving soon,’ or, in some cases, have already left.”

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Everyone is warmly welcome who contributes positively to our society, who wants to work here, who is qualified, who pays taxes, and who abides by the law.

Pascal Begrich of the democracy group Miteinander said he did not expect a mass departure because of economic realities. But he said migrants and employers were reassessing their futures. “There are companies asking themselves whether they really want to locate here and whether they can ensure their workers will be safe,” he said.

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There are many people in our communities who say: 'We’ve already packed our bags and have concrete plans, and we’ll be leaving soon,' or, in some cases, have already left.