AfD lead fuels migrant fears ahead of German state vote
Posters featuring election campaign ads for (top to bottom) the Left Party's (Die Linke), the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and BSW's (Buendnis Sahra Wagenknecht) party are pictured in Magdeburg, eastern Germany on Sept. 4, 2026. (AFP)
Migrants in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state are considering leaving as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leads polls ahead of the Sept. 6 election, with a chance to form its first state government.
A recent survey suggested that as many as 80 percent of people with migrant backgrounds were considering moving away, Magdeburg integration council head Ketevan Asatiani-Hermann told the Guardian.
The AfD’s election manifesto proposes separate schooling for refugee children and diverting integration funds to a unit responsible for “remigration.” It also calls on federal authorities to stop recognizing Ukrainians as war refugees.
