Migrant businesses in Magdeburg shut down in protest ahead of state election
Immigrant-owned businesses across Magdeburg staged a coordinated closure on Wednesday, shutting their doors from 10am to 3pm to protest against the policies of the Alternative for Germany party ahead of the September 6th state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
Between 120 and 150 migrant-owned shops, kiosks and other businesses participated in the day of action in the state capital, which was followed by a rally in front of the state parliament at 1pm. The action was deliberately organized as a voluntary closure by self-employed business owners rather than a traditional employee strike.
"We are closing our doors today so that the doors to a free and democratic society do not close tomorrow," said the Refugee Council of Saxony-Anhalt state, which backed the initiative.
AfD holds commanding lead in polls
The protest comes as the AfD holds a commanding position in polling ahead of next month's vote. Recent surveys show the party at approximately 42 percent support, holding a 20-percentage-point lead over the governing CDU, which stands at 22-23 percent. This represents a dramatic reversal from the 2021 state election, when the CDU won with 37.1 percent while the AfD received 20.8 percent.
If the AfD wins on September 6th, it would mark the first time the party has formed a state government in Germany since its founding in 2013. Depending on whether smaller parties clear the five-percent threshold for parliamentary representation, the AfD could potentially secure an outright majority in the 83-seat Landtag, which requires 42 seats.
Concerns over deportation plans and extremism classification
The AfD has vowed a "deportation and remigration offensive" if it takes power. The party's Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as a proven right-wing extremist group by state domestic intelligence services. In May 2025, Germany's domestic intelligence agency upgraded its classification of the entire AfD party to a confirmed right-wing extremist organization based on a 1,100-page report, though the designation is currently suspended pending court review.
"Many participants report that they are increasingly afraid of hostility," Saaeid Saaeid of the Refugee Council told public broadcaster ARD.
The group said in a statement that many migrants had already reported "experiences of racism and social exclusion."
The campaign period had seen a hardening political debate "in which people's sense of belonging is increasingly called into question based on their background or migration history," the council said.
Fear and uncertainty in the migrant community
The Refugee Council added that calls for "mass deportations and the exclusion of people with a migration history from our society" have sparked "fear and uncertainty" among the community. According to official city statistics, approximately 18.6 percent of Magdeburg's population has a migration background as of December 31, 2023.
"We want to live in a society where one's background does not determine who belongs," the council stated. "Human dignity, equality and social inclusion are non-negotiable."
