The September 7 state election in Saxony-Anhalt saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieve a historic victory, according to Reuters. Mamad Mohamad, a 46-year-old Syrian-born Yazidi Kurd and Greens party member poised to become one of the first lawmakers with an immigrant background in the state parliament, described the outcome as a “poisoned victory,” reflecting his mixed emotions. The AfD’s success, coupled with the conservative party’s historic low, has left many immigrants questioning their future in the region.

The AfD’s election manifesto outlines policies that include a state-level campaign to deport rejected asylum seekers and a push for businesses to adopt artificial intelligence and automation instead of relying on skilled migration from what the party terms “culturally alien” backgrounds. Despite the party’s assertion that it opposes only illegal and uncontrolled migration, the election result has heightened anxiety among immigrant communities. Undra Dressler, managing director of the State Network of Migrant Organisations in Saxony-Anhalt, noted that while the outcome is unsettling rather than surprising, it marks a turning point, with many individuals contemplating departure. Pascal Begrich of the democracy advocacy group Miteinander added that the political shift is prompting both migrants and employers to reassess their future in the state, potentially hindering efforts to attract skilled workers and families. Nonetheless, both Dressler and Begrich emphasized that any future government would remain constrained by Germany’s constitutional order and minority protections, with other federal states prepared to intervene if necessary. Source

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