By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - Many Germans of migrant origin are thinking about emigrating or changing their federal state because of the latest regional election success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in two eastern German states, according to a study published Friday.
The report by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) said around one-quarter of those with a migrant background are at least fundamentally thinking about leaving Germany.
It is almost 12% for those without a migrant background. Some 9.3% of respondents with a migrant background already have concrete plans to emigrate. For the other respondents, it was 1.9%, while 11.7% mentioned fundamental considerations for emigration.
The percentages are significantly higher when people are asked about plans or considerations about moving to another federal state if the right-wing extremist AfD is part of the government in their current residence.
The study said between 18% and 34% of people with a migrant background are considering such a change, depending on their region of origin, and 12.5% already have concrete plans to do it. The latter is particularly common (24.1%) among people with Arab origins.
Among those surveyed without a migrant background, 14.6% had such considerations and 3.4% already had concrete plans.
Almost 60% of respondents expressed fears about the AfD's plans for a mass expulsion of those with a migrant background and other undesirable people, what the party calls "remigration." according to the study.
Some 72.4% of those surveyed classified the AfD as anti-democratic and 80% said it was racist.