Far-Right Gains in Germany Fuel Deepening Concerns Over Hardline Migration Policies
Germany stands at a critical political juncture following electoral gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in state elections in September, raising urgent questions over the future of asylum seekers and marginalized communities.
democracynow.org reported from Berlin that the AfD’s September electoral victories, including in Saxony-Anhalt, could result in the German state being controlled by a far-right extremist party for the first time since World War II. The party’s platform champions migration restrictions alongside what it terms “remigration”—which amounts to a policy of mass deportation.
Wiebke Judith, the legal policy spokesperson for PRO ASYL, a German NGO working for the human rights of asylum seekers and refugees, spoke with democracynow.org regarding the looming implications for asylum seekers. Judith noted that a far-right government presence could directly manifest in policies such as excluding refugee children from schools, restricting benefits, and attempting to stop any asylum seekers being brought to that specific federal state.
“The win of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, but also the gains they have made across Europe, is deeply concerning for everyone who cares about our democracy, but especially for people who are targeted by their policy,” Judith told democracynow.org. She added that an equally alarming trend over recent years has been the center parties being pushed towards right-wing policies.
Shifting Discourse and the Legacy of 2015
The current hostile climate stands in contrast to the political landscape of 2015, when Angela Merkel made it a policy to admit refugees, in particular from Syria. Over the past 10 years, however, the national conversation has systematically transformed.
democracynow.org highlighted how migration has repeatedly been put on the top of the agenda as the issue in Germany, despite other critical systemic pressures remaining unaddressed, such as housing or the retirement system. Sustained anti-migration campaigns driven by both right-wing and center parties have gradually reshaped public policy.
Despite the mainstream political shift toward tighter borders, grassroots solidarity endures across Germany. Judith pointed out to democracynow.org that communities rallied to welcome Ukrainian refugees in recent years, and day-to-day support networks for asylum seekers remain active across the country.
Litigation as a Bulwark Against Legislative Rollbacks
With political victories proving elusive in the current legislative climate, human rights organizations are increasingly leaning on the judiciary to protect fundamental rights. PRO ASYL and its network of European partners are focusing heavily on litigation.
democracynow.org noted that while Germany still maintains a functioning court system capable of checking executive overreach, advocates face a new hurdle: governments are not perceiving judicial wins that well anymore.
“What we do focus on currently, but have been doing for many years in Germany, but with partners across Europe, is really litigation, because it is quite hard at the moment to have political wins,” Judith told democracynow.org. “We have fundamental rights. We have human rights. And there is still a functioning court system that we can use. What is quite concerning is that we see that if there are wins in front of courts, governments are not perceiving it that well anymore.”
Meanwhile, at the broader continental level, European Union Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner defended the bloc’s tightening grip on borders in a recent interview with Reuters. Brunner argued that the EU’s newly agreed-upon Pact for Migration and Asylum is essential for restoring control after years of lacking a structured system to regulate who enters, stays, or leaves the continent.
