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Migrant and ethnic communities in Germany are concerned about the growing support for far-right parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The party is known for its sharp anti-immigration rhetoric and makes migration a central voting issue in East Germany.

This has caused fear not only among those who campaign against discrimination, but also among minorities such as Black Germans and African migrants, who are among the most visible minorities and are often the first to be discriminated against.

This is particularly evident in the state of Thuringia, where elections will take place next week.

Current polls show that up to 30 percent of voters in Thuringia want to vote for the AfD. This puts the party ahead of the other established parties.

According to experts, radical right-wing extremist forces, particularly in Thuringia, have created an environment that is hostile towards minorities, including black people.

“In recent years, a right-wing extremist movement has formed in Thuringia, which has contributed to a noticeable ideological radicalization of its supporters. Politically, the Alternative for Germany party is the main beneficiary of this,” explains the non-governmental organization Ezra Foundation.

The AfD’s Thuringian regional association is particularly radical and has been under surveillance by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution for four years as a “proven right-wing extremist” group.

But the AfD also has great influence in the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg, where elections will take place on September 1 and 22 respectively.

All three federal states are home to 10% of the German population, and their election results are expected to have a major impact on federal politics.

Deepening the migration debate

The migration debate in Germany has been exacerbated in recent days by the knife attack in which three people were killed at a street festival in Solingen.

The attack was allegedly carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker who was due to be deported last year after his asylum application was rejected.

Opposition parties used the incident to accuse the German government of failing in its migration policy.

The government responded by announcing that it would tighten deportation regulations. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also wants to meet with the CDU opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, to discuss the matter further.

Meanwhile, German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann confirmed that rejected asylum seekers could be deported to Syria and promised to work towards a solution for Afghanistan.

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“I am of the opinion that people can be deported to Syria. The courts have already decided that. Just think of the Higher Administrative Court in North Rhine-Westphalia. Because we also have regions in Syria where people can be safe. I think we need a solution for Afghanistan too,” he said.