Rise of Germany's far-right AfD sparks fear among refugees

DW (English)

The Alternative for Germany party (AfD) came a close second in the Brandenburg state elections, winning almost 30% of the vote. Refugees and volunteers in an AfD stronghold share their concerns over the election results.

Transcript

00:00In Karin Friedrich's German language class, the topic is the election results in Brandenburg.

00:06She tells her students, who are all refugees, that the far-right AfD party came in second

00:11place.

00:12I have an overview map of Brandenburg.

00:15Everywhere in red, the SPD won, blue, the AfD.

00:24They live in Großschönebeck, a small village about 50 kilometers north of Berlin.

00:30The AfD won around 40 percent of the vote.

00:33Zeynep Arzunkeva is worried about her son.

00:38He says if the AfD comes, we have to leave Germany.

00:42He is always afraid of this, every time he is sad because of this.

00:48The German classes are organized by the local welcome team.

00:51Since 2015, the initiative has overseen the integration of refugees in the village, such

00:58as the Miffli family, who fled from Syria.

01:02They were a great help at first, and now they are our friends.

01:05We celebrate their birthdays with them, and they celebrate with us.

01:12Iman and her husband have built a life in Germany, both working at a bakery in a neighboring

01:17village.

01:19The high approval rating for the AfD worries Iman.

01:25You have to take it seriously.

01:27And I always think of my children when something like this happens.

01:33They grew up here.

01:35And I don't know, it's hard to explain.

01:43Not everyone in Großschönebeck is worried about the AfD's election result.

01:48I'll be honest, I also voted for the AfD.

01:51As I said, the foreigners here in Germany bother me.

01:55It doesn't have to be.

01:56We have enough to deal with ourselves in our own country.

02:02I'm not too worried, because not much will change.

02:07What they say on the election posters, I have to agree with.

02:10I didn't dare to vote for them, though.

02:15Andreas Zeidler is the local mayor in Großschönebeck.

02:18He says migration is not the main reason for the AfD's popularity.

02:25It won't necessarily always be because of the refugees, but because of general dissatisfaction.

02:31And dissatisfaction with our current government, a lot of things just come together.

02:37The Wellcome team is not discouraged by this and continues to work for a peaceful coexistence.

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