A new report by legal experts has found that efforts to ban Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could be successful — but there would be political dangers to such a move.
For example, during Christmas time, Germans set up outside markets in which they sell things. Suppose there is a group of migrants whose religion forbids going to these markets. If this group becomes large in a certain city, these markets might go out of business. Also, suppose some in these groups attack these markets because they feel they are corrupting their children.
At least five people, including a 9-year-old, are now known to have been killed in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, German officials said Saturday. The four other victims killed in the attack were adults, according to police.
At least 200 more people were injured when a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city, around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin, according to Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff.
There are currently thousands of Christmas markets held in Germany every year (at least 3250, up to 7000). The rumors of the tradition dying out due to migration/terrorist attacks that were spread by right wing media don’t hold any water. They’re not going anywhere.
Offenbach am Main, which is the city with the highest share of immigrants in Germany (65%), holds a Christmas market every year. It is one of the markets with the longest duration in Hesse (November 17 - December 29 in 2025).
You’re asking me to suppose things about migrants and their effect on society and derive xenophobic viewpoints from that. But those are just made up scenarios based on preconceived notions.
As made clear by the example you chose to illustrate your point, there’s not much substance to your claims in my opinion.
The Magdeburg car-ramming was one of a series of attacks involving immigrants that pushed migration to the forefront of the campaign for Germany’s national election in February 2025. The defendant arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency.
Okay? First you used it as an example for a violent expression of disdain for German culture by migrants. Now you’re saying it was one of the catalysts for the shift of public perception of problems resulting from migration.
Christmas markets have previously been targeted by vehicle-ramming attacks, such as the 2016 attack in Berlin.[13] That attack, perpetrated by the Islamic State, killed 12 people and injured 56 others.[14] Minister of the interior and community Nancy Faeser said in November 2024 that there were no “concrete” threats to Christmas markets,[15][16] but that it was wise to maintain vigilance.[16]
Two weeks prior to the attack, an Iraqi man was arrested on suspicion of planning an attack against a Christmas market in Augsburg, Bavaria.[17]
If your argument is that we should see migration as a threat because a handful of radicalized people committed heinous acts of violence, I’m out.
To conflate migration and terrorism is intellectually bankrupt and reprehensible.
Sure, these terrible events did affect the public’s view on the issue of migration negatively. But to infer from them that everybody who tries to find a better life in Germany is guilty by association (except for those delicious skilled professionals we can exploit, of course) is a take I cannot condone.
The absolute majority of people moving here simply want to build a good life for themselves and their families, just like everybody does. Will it change society to some degree? Absolutely. But what’s so terrible about that. “German culture”, whatever that is, will not suddenly vanish, just because there’s some pluralism.
And believe it or not, many Germans actually enjoy to live in a more diverse environment. I know I do.
Uncontrolled migration is a threat. The AfD is a threat. Permitting only those with talent and needed skills will increase diversity and also stop the AfD.
At least you classify the AfD as a threat…
Nobody’s advocating for uncontrolled migration, that would benefit neither the people already there nor those arriving. But deciding their fate based on their utility for the work force is inhumane.
Why not invest a little, educate them, and provide them chances they wouldn’t have had otherwise? Investments in education pay out manifold after only a couple of years.
Many of the fields that desperately need workers don’t require a PhD level education anyway.
Even if you approach migration from a purely economic angle, it is absolutely necessary to ensure the continuance of the German standard of living in an aging and shrinking society.
For example, during Christmas time, Germans set up outside markets in which they sell things. Suppose there is a group of migrants whose religion forbids going to these markets. If this group becomes large in a certain city, these markets might go out of business. Also, suppose some in these groups attack these markets because they feel they are corrupting their children.
Remember this attack. From https://abc7news.com/post/magdeburg-market-attack-death-toll-christmas-germany-rises-5-more-200-injured/15685891/
At least five people, including a 9-year-old, are now known to have been killed in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, German officials said Saturday. The four other victims killed in the attack were adults, according to police.
At least 200 more people were injured when a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city, around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin, according to Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff.
There are currently thousands of Christmas markets held in Germany every year (at least 3250, up to 7000). The rumors of the tradition dying out due to migration/terrorist attacks that were spread by right wing media don’t hold any water. They’re not going anywhere.
Offenbach am Main, which is the city with the highest share of immigrants in Germany (65%), holds a Christmas market every year. It is one of the markets with the longest duration in Hesse (November 17 - December 29 in 2025).
The attacker in Magdeburg was a mentally ill man, motivated by far right extremism. He claimed to be 'the most aggressive critic of Islam in history’ and was a staunch proponent of the AfD.
You’re asking me to suppose things about migrants and their effect on society and derive xenophobic viewpoints from that. But those are just made up scenarios based on preconceived notions. As made clear by the example you chose to illustrate your point, there’s not much substance to your claims in my opinion.
From https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/germany-magdeburg-christmas-market-attack-defendant-convicted-o93064
The Magdeburg car-ramming was one of a series of attacks involving immigrants that pushed migration to the forefront of the campaign for Germany’s national election in February 2025. The defendant arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency.
Okay? First you used it as an example for a violent expression of disdain for German culture by migrants. Now you’re saying it was one of the catalysts for the shift of public perception of problems resulting from migration.
No apparent reference to my reply.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Magdeburg_car_attack
Christmas markets have previously been targeted by vehicle-ramming attacks, such as the 2016 attack in Berlin.[13] That attack, perpetrated by the Islamic State, killed 12 people and injured 56 others.[14] Minister of the interior and community Nancy Faeser said in November 2024 that there were no “concrete” threats to Christmas markets,[15][16] but that it was wise to maintain vigilance.[16]
Two weeks prior to the attack, an Iraqi man was arrested on suspicion of planning an attack against a Christmas market in Augsburg, Bavaria.[17]
If your argument is that we should see migration as a threat because a handful of radicalized people committed heinous acts of violence, I’m out. To conflate migration and terrorism is intellectually bankrupt and reprehensible.
Sure, these terrible events did affect the public’s view on the issue of migration negatively. But to infer from them that everybody who tries to find a better life in Germany is guilty by association (except for those delicious skilled professionals we can exploit, of course) is a take I cannot condone.
The absolute majority of people moving here simply want to build a good life for themselves and their families, just like everybody does. Will it change society to some degree? Absolutely. But what’s so terrible about that. “German culture”, whatever that is, will not suddenly vanish, just because there’s some pluralism.
And believe it or not, many Germans actually enjoy to live in a more diverse environment. I know I do.
Uncontrolled migration is a threat. The AfD is a threat. Permitting only those with talent and needed skills will increase diversity and also stop the AfD.
At least you classify the AfD as a threat… Nobody’s advocating for uncontrolled migration, that would benefit neither the people already there nor those arriving. But deciding their fate based on their utility for the work force is inhumane.
Why not invest a little, educate them, and provide them chances they wouldn’t have had otherwise? Investments in education pay out manifold after only a couple of years. Many of the fields that desperately need workers don’t require a PhD level education anyway.
Even if you approach migration from a purely economic angle, it is absolutely necessary to ensure the continuance of the German standard of living in an aging and shrinking society.