Germany spent years opening its doors to foreign workers and making it easier for migrants to become citizens. That approach is now facing a stronger political challenge after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a major victory in Saxony-Anhalt. The result could push the country towards stricter immigration policies, especially on asylum and irregular migration.

The AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Sunday’s state election. It secured 39 of the 83 seats in the regional parliament. The party fell three seats short of a majority and cannot form a government on its own. Mainstream parties have also ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD.

Despite this, the result marks the party’s strongest state-level electoral performance in Germany since the Second World War. It also puts more pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his CDU to take a tougher approach to migration. The AfD’s success could force mainstream parties to respond to growing support for stricter immigration policies.

Germany has faced labour shortages for years. Successive governments have tried to bring more skilled workers from outside the European Union. The country introduced several measures to make legal migration easier and attract people needed by its economy.

The Skilled Immigration Act, introduced in stages from 2023, expanded the routes available to foreign workers. It also introduced the opportunity card. The scheme allows eligible people from non-EU countries to enter Germany and search for jobs.

Germany also changed its citizenship rules in 2024. The new law reduced the standard period of residence needed for naturalisation. It also allowed people to keep their previous nationality in more cases. These changes were driven by Germany’s need for workers, a stronger tax base and support for an ageing population.

However, asylum and irregular migration have become major political issues. The German government has already introduced tighter controls. These include stronger border measures and a two-year suspension of family reunification for many migrants who have subsidiary protection.

The AfD has pushed the debate further to the right. Its programme calls for major restrictions on immigration. The party supports stronger deportation measures, tighter asylum rules and changes to integration policies. In Saxony-Anhalt, it campaigned on a more nationalist agenda and promised to restrict migration.

Reuters reported that the AfD views the election as a step towards taking national power in the 2029 federal election. The party is also gaining ground in national opinion polls. A recent INSA survey placed it ahead of the conservatives.

The AfD does not need to enter government to influence immigration policy. Its electoral gains can pressure larger parties to appeal to voters who support tougher measures. This could lead to stricter positions on asylum, deportations and border controls.

Germany has already approved legislation to implement the European Union’s new asylum system. The changes include wider screening procedures and new restrictions on movement for some asylum seekers. They are expected to take effect in 2026. Rights groups have criticised the measures, and said they go beyond what EU rules require.

The AfD’s victory in one state cannot end immigration across Germany. Key rules covering asylum, residence permits, citizenship and labour migration are decided at the federal and European levels. A state government can influence how migrants are housed, educated and integrated. It can also affect local administration and enforcement. It cannot independently abolish the right to seek asylum or cancel national immigration laws.

The more significant change may therefore come through politics rather than an immediate change in law. Germany is unlikely to stop recruiting skilled workers while businesses continue to face labour shortages. At the same time, the country could become less welcoming towards asylum seekers, refugees and family members joining migrants with protected status.

The AfD’s win does not signal the end of immigration in Germany. It does show that the country’s earlier push to expand legal migration and present immigration mainly as an economic solution is facing a stronger backlash.

Germany could now move towards a two-track approach. The country may continue to selectively recruit workers it needs while introducing tougher rules for asylum seekers and people without a secure right to remain.