Migrant workers in Germany’s eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt are facing growing uncertainty following the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) strong performance in the September 6 state election, with welfare and migrant organisations warning that some foreign workers could consider moving elsewhere.
The AfD won 43.8 per cent of the vote and secured 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, leaving it short of the majority needed to govern alone. Other major parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD, meaning negotiations over the next state government are continuing.
The election result has nevertheless raised concerns among organisations working with migrants, particularly because Saxony-Anhalt relies on foreign workers in sectors facing staff shortages.
The Arbeiterwohlfahrt, known as AWO, has warned that an increasingly hostile environment could encourage some migrants to leave the state. The organisation says such a departure could create additional pressure on the care sector, where international workers make up a significant share of staff in some facilities.
Barbara Höckmann, chair of the AWO’s Saxony-Anhalt association, said some of the organisation’s care facilities have migrant workers accounting for as much as a quarter of their employees.
Foreign-born workers also represent a substantial proportion of people entering nursing training in the state, according to the organisation.
The concerns extend beyond care homes. Annett Flachshaar, deputy managing director of the Verdi service workers’ union in Saxony-Anhalt, said about a quarter of doctors working in the state do not hold German passports.
Migrant support organisations have reported that some foreign-born professionals are considering leaving the region following the election.
Undra Dressler, executive director of the migrant support network LAMSA, said some migrant doctors had already begun considering opportunities elsewhere in Germany. She cited the example of a paediatrician who had accepted a job in another part of the country.
The concerns come as Saxony-Anhalt continues to face demographic and labour-market challenges.
The state has one of Germany’s smaller foreign populations, with foreign nationals accounting for about 7.9 per cent of residents. However, the number of people with foreign citizenship has increased substantially over the past decade, and migrants now work across healthcare, education, business and other sectors.
Care and nursing are particularly important because the state has faced shortages of skilled workers for years. The AfD itself has acknowledged the shortage and has proposed encouraging Germans living abroad to return as part of its response.
The party’s election programme also calls for major changes to migration and asylum policy, including faster deportations of people without a legal right to remain, stricter asylum rules and a general work requirement for asylum seekers.
It has also called for a broad change in migration policy intended to reduce immigration to the state.
These proposals have contributed to concerns among some migrant communities about their future in Saxony-Anhalt.
Before the election, migrant representatives and people with migration backgrounds told German media that they were worried about racism, discrimination and whether they would continue to feel secure in the state.
At the same time, not all migrants have indicated plans to leave. Some migrant community leaders have urged people to remain involved in their communities rather than withdraw from public life.
The election result has also drawn attention to the wider labour-market implications of Germany’s political debate over migration.
International students, care workers, healthcare professionals, scientists and entrepreneurs have become increasingly important to Saxony-Anhalt’s workforce. By the end of 2025, around 193,000 people with foreign citizenship were living in the state, and the number of people with an international background had nearly doubled over the previous decade.
AWO and other welfare organisations therefore fear that the departure of migrant workers could worsen existing staffing shortages, particularly in healthcare and elderly care.
The Lutheran Church has also expressed concern about the treatment of migrants. Regional church representatives have said they intend to continue supporting vulnerable people and opposing discrimination.
The political situation remains unsettled because the AfD did not win enough seats to govern by itself. Other parties have rejected cooperation with the party, making the formation of a state government more complicated.
The newly elected parliament is scheduled to convene on October 6, with negotiations expected to continue before a new government is formed.
For migrants working in Saxony-Anhalt, the immediate question is therefore not only which parties eventually enter government, but how the state’s policies and public atmosphere develop following the election.
The debate is particularly significant for sectors such as healthcare and social care, where employers already depend on workers from abroad and where further departures could add to existing recruitment difficulties.