Germany’s AfD vows to expel all migrants without legal status if it wins eastern region
Germany's far-right party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has pledged to expel all migrants without legal status if it wins the upcoming regional election in the eastern state of Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt).
The party officially presented its election manifesto, describing migration as one of Germany's biggest challenges. AfD leaders promised to replace what they called the country's "welcome culture" with an approach focused on stricter immigration enforcement. The party says migrants without legal permission to remain in Germany, rejected asylum seekers, and foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes should be deported.
The manifesto also proposes reducing both illegal and legal migration, arguing that Germany should rely less on workers from what it describes as "culturally alien" backgrounds. In addition, AfD wants Ukrainian refugees to lose their current refugee status and eventually return to Ukraine. Several of these proposals would likely face legal and constitutional challenges if the party attempted to implement them.
Beyond migration, the party's program includes a range of controversial proposals. These include banning gender-inclusive language in public institutions, removing rainbow flags from schools, reducing publicly funded broadcasting, strengthening traditional family values, expanding Russian language education, and promoting closer economic and cultural ties with Russia. Some of these policies fall outside the authority of a regional state government, making their implementation uncertain.
AfD is currently leading opinion polls in Sachsen-Anhalt ahead of the regional election and could become the first far-right party in modern Germany to govern one of the country's federal states. Political opponents have warned that such an outcome would have significant consequences for Germany's political landscape, while the party insists its policies reflect growing public concern over migration and national identity.