Immigrants in Saxony-Anhalt weigh leaving after AfD win

The far-right AfD's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, with 43.8% of the vote, has intensified fears among immigrants, with 80% of those surveyed by a migrant network considering leaving the state. The AfD's campaign pledges on "remigration" and cuts to integration programs have alarmed immigrant communities, particularly Syrians and Arabs. Representatives like Batoul Nayouf say they are "sitting on packed suitcases," though no mass exodus has been confirmed, and a viral story of a Syrian doctor fleeing was satire. Immigrant organizations are urging other states and the federal government to establish reception programs to facilitate relocation, warning that losing skilled workers like Syrian doctors and nurses would worsen labor shortages in a region already losing population. The political outcome remains uncertain, with other parties maintaining a "firewall" against the AfD.