Politics

AfD Victory in Saxony‑Alhalt Sparks Uncertainty for Migrants in Magdeburg

By PTI

The far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the regional election in Saxony‑Alhalt last month, prompting daily discussions between Ola Akhras, a Syrian-born doctor, her husband, and their two daughters about whether to return to Syria. The couple lives in Magdeburg, where the newly elected State legislature will convene on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The 83‑seat body will elect a Speaker, a post that traditionally goes to the largest party, and the AfD hopes for a symbolic victory. The State’s next Governor is unlikely to be chosen before December 2026.

Ms. Akhras, who fled Homs in 2018, said, "It’s bad — we’ve built our lives here, we really loved being here, but now we don’t feel welcome anymore." She speaks fluent German and works as a doctor at the local hospital, completing specialist training in internal medicine. Although she feels appreciated at work, she has recently encountered hostility while shopping and no longer feels safe leaving home in the evening. "Our children will never be recognised as Germans here," she added.

Public sentiment toward migrants has shifted since the 2015 wave of more than a million arrivals from war‑torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Germany’s economic challenges—slow growth, high inflation and rising energy prices—have worsened, and the AfD and other critics of immigration blame migrants for the country’s problems. The 13‑year‑old party has gained support rapidly in Germany’s former Communist and economically weaker eastern states, including Saxony‑Alhalt, and remains the strongest opposition party in parliament.

The AfD’s victory in Saxony‑Alhalt underlined the party’s ability to capitalise on discontent beyond its core immigration stance, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s national government struggles to revive Germany’s sluggish economy. The result has unsettled migrants and Germans who believed the nation was immune to nationalism after the Nazi past. Many migrants fear that if the AfD forms the next government, it could implement its campaign promises, which include more and faster deportations and restrictions on asylum‑seeker admission.

It is unclear whether the AfD will form the next government; it fell three seats short of a majority in the September 6, 2026 election. No figures yet show whether racist incidents have increased since the election, but counselling centres are extremely busy, phones are ringing off the hook, and appointments are fully booked. "We know of people who have left, people who are considering it, and people who have made a conscious decision against it and say: ‘I’m staying. I won’t accept these conditions. Now more than ever, I’m going to get involved,’" said Undra Dressler, Executive Director of the Saxony‑Alhalt State Network of Migrant Organisations.

Mohamad Aldabagh, a 34‑year‑old pharmacist from Homs who fled to Germany in 2015, said, "It’s been a very good experience living in Germany over the past 10 years. I’ve rebuilt my life here, and I won’t let anyone take that away from me." He noted that he has also experienced racism but believes that skilled workers and foreign doctors are needed and that society cannot afford to treat them badly.

The AfD’s programme for Saxony‑Alhalt does not reject labour migration entirely but proposes a highly selective approach, explicitly refraining from recruiting workers it describes as "culturally foreign" and ending a State programme designed to support the integration of foreign skilled workers. Professor Rahim Hajji of Magdeburg‑Stendal University of Applied Sciences questioned how a state with an ageing population and growing labour shortages can meet its demand for skilled workers if it substantially restricts the pool of international workers.

As of August 2026, more than one in four doctors—27.1%—in Saxony‑Alhalt hospitals did not hold German citizenship, according to a survey by the Mediendienst Integration group. Mr. Aldabagh added, "We want to contribute to the well‑being of society here. We are needed. We are not the black sheep in this country. But if we don’t get respect anymore, then we’ll move to another state where AfD isn’t as strong."