60% of German voters understand migrants’ security concerns after AfD victory

16:05

By: Azzat Manal

60% of German voters understand migrants’ security concerns after AfD victory

A majority of eligible voters in Germany say they can understand the concerns expressed by people with a migration background following the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) strong performance in the recent state election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the German Press Agency (dpa).

The poll found that 60% of respondents considered concerns about the safety of migrants in the eastern German state understandable, while 34% said they did not consider such fears justified. A further 6% were undecided. The survey questioned 2,161 adults and excluded foreign nationals because the research also examined voting behavior in Germany’s previous federal election.

The findings reveal significant differences according to political affiliation. More than four in five respondents who had voted for the Social Democratic Party, the Greens or the Left said they understood the concerns raised by migrant organizations. By contrast, fewer than one in seven AfD voters expressed similar understanding. The survey also indicated that warnings from the Turkish Community in Germany received somewhat stronger support in western Germany than in the eastern states.

The debate intensified after the AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s September 6 state election, securing 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament. The party became the largest political force but fell short of the 42 seats required for an absolute majority, leaving the formation of a new government uncertain.

The result has prompted concerns among some migrant organizations, particularly the Turkish Community in Germany, which has called for stronger protection against politically motivated and extremist violence. Representatives of the organization have also raised questions about whether migrants and refugees feel sufficiently secure in areas where support for the AfD is particularly strong.

The political status of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is also part of the wider debate. The state’s domestic intelligence authority classified the party’s regional branch as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization in 2023, citing statements by party officials that it considered hostile toward Muslims, racist and antisemitic. The AfD has challenged that classification in court.

Meanwhile, the election has created a difficult situation for the formation of a governing coalition. Other major parties have so far maintained their political distance from the AfD, while the party itself does not have enough seats to govern alone. The coming negotiations in Magdeburg will therefore determine how the state is governed after an election that has intensified Germany’s broader debate over migration, security and the political influence of the AfD.