Migrant Groups Demand Protection Measures Against Potential AfD Rule
Migrant associations in Germany issued an open letter to Friedrich Merz and state government heads, demanding federal and state precautions to protect minorities ahead of a potential governing role by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt.
Open Letter Warning Over Saxony-Anhalt Government Plans
A governing coalition in Saxony-Anhalt could soon feature a party whose regional branch is classified as definitively right-wing extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The Turkish Community in Germany, the Federal Conference of Migrant Organizations, the Dachverband der Migrant*innenorganisationen in Ostdeutschland, and the Landesnetzwerk Migrant*innenorganisationen Sachsen-Anhalt (LAMSA) signed the appeal ahead of the Ministers-President Conference.
“In Saxony-Anhalt, a party whose state branch is classified as definitively right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution could participate in government for the first time in the coming weeks,” the letter states. “To date, however, there is no concept for the protection of the people who would be threatened by such a government.”
Everyday Hostility Reported by Minorities
The organizations emphasize that while threats to democracy dominate public discourse, the actual danger is felt daily by those who do not fit an ethnic worldview. Affected groups include Jews, people perceived as Muslims, Sinti and Roma, queer individuals, and people with a migration history. Hate mail and threatening letters arrive regularly at association offices, and staff face verbal abuse on telephones and streets.
The LAMSA network recorded 85 consultation cases concerning racist threats in the current year alone, exceeding the total from the previous year.
Demands for a Federal-State Protection Commission and Emergency Funds
The authors of the letter ask for a joint federal-state commission on minority protection to assess potential risks under an AfD-led government and formulate countermeasures. They also demand the removal of residential obligations for asylum seekers so individuals can relocate if they fear racist violence locally.
The signatories also call for a federal protection fund modeled after the 22 million euros provided by the federal government after the 2019 Halle attack to secure Jewish institutions. This fund would support threatened non-profit organizations, associations, advice centers, communities, and initiatives in developing emergency plans and structural security measures.