The national election in Germany draws near as migration takes center stage in political debates due to the killing of two individuals including a two-year-old child by a rejected Afghan asylum seeker on January 22, 2025 in Aschaffenburg Bavaria. The atrocity left two dead with a two-year-old boy among the victims after an asylum-seeking Afghan refugee conducted the attack despite his rejected migration application. The recent alarmist incident represents the fourth instance of independent extremism since two years ago and it has led to intensified demands for more stringent migration regulations.
What leads the push for stricter policies are the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) whose goal is to tighten migration laws. As CDU’s chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz promised to close Germany’s borders forever if his party won elections and the AfD identified as right-wing extremists raised their anti-immigration statements. The CDU benefited from AfD backing to pass an immigration reform motion in January 29 which shattered the traditional boundary prohibiting collaboration between mainstream and extremist political forces.
A total of 160,000 Berlin citizens took to the streets during the February 2 demonstrations to protest against the motion. The former Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly criticized her CDU party for partnering with the AfD. Public discussion about migration has decreased yet maintained its divisive nature even though asylum applications fell by 34% from 2023 to 2024, while other vital concerns like economics and house shortages take center stage. 
Public polls indicate the CDU holds 28% of public support while the AfD secures 20%. The strong anti-migration approach pursued by Merz has received negative feedback from members within his own party forcing them to evaluate the CDU’s upcoming strategies and German political dynamics.
