‘This could just be the beginning’: minorities fear first far-right win in German state election
Migrants in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, are expressing deep anxiety as the far-right AfD party nears a potential state election victory. The party's platform, which includes promises of mass deportations, has left vulnerable populations fearing for their safety and legal status.
Why it matters
This election represents a potential shift in German political norms, testing the resilience of postwar democratic taboos against far-right governance.
As polls point to victory in Saxony-Anhalt for AfD party promising deportations, people face agonising choice: stay or go
Prefer the Guardian on Google As the Bible study session wrapped up, leaving worshippers to mingle over cake and coffee, Fatemeh, 44, fought back tears as the conversation turned to Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
“I worry about it every day,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about my son and what might happen to us.”
Three years ago she fled Iran with her son after he was stopped by police during a protest over the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. They ended up in Saxony-Anhalt, where, as they await a final decision on their asylum claim, she has watched him blossom into a gifted athlete and develop a knack for repairing vehicles.
Fatemeh worries about what might happen after the elections.
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