Berlin:
Mohammad Azmouz, a Syrian hairdresser who lives in Berlin, said that the release of his first mood ever on Sunday at the age of 57 was an indescribable feeling.
But a historical increase in support for the anti-immigration alternative of Germany for Germany (AFD) party has left him anxiously about his future.
“Why this hatred? We work and we have settled ourselves. We are not bothered for society, so why this hatred? We love the German people,” said Azmouz.
Germany’s asylum policy was one of the largest topics in this year’s elections, in which the conservatives and the AfD won first and second place respectively.
Worried about an increasingly hostile atmosphere, and the costs of living, Azmouz gave his voice to the extreme left-wing that Linke party, which led a campaign that promoted social justice and promised more support for households with a low income.
“We now miss the days that Mrs. Merkel was in charge of the government,” he said, referring to the old Chancellor Angela Merkel. “Now everything is expensive … It feels like someone is walking and walks without ever catching up.”
In the midst of an economic decline, Germans with an immigrant background are more concerned about their finances than the rest of the population. A recent this investigation showed that 63.4% of migrants share this concern compared to 46.7% of non-immigrants.
The fixed migrant population of Germany has never been higher. More than seven million Germans with an immigrant background were eligible to vote for this election, hundreds of thousands of former refugees.
Others said they shared similar concerns about the state of the economy, but not everyone looked to the left.
For Mohammed, a Jordanian hairdresser who is not a citizen entitled to vote, the rise of the AfD is a chance to shake things up in the country. He also believes that Germany has the right to protect its limits and population.
He recognized mistakes made by the migrant community and said that he supported a more difficult attitude towards violent offenders and supported restrictions on the family disability for refugees.
“If there was an AfD party in my country, I would vote for it,” he said.
Historically, the German Social Democrats (SPD) were the most popular among migrants with its advocacy for employee rights, social well -being and integration. But it was the biggest loser with this mood.
Alaa Eddin Mhanna, a Syrian factory operator who lived in Ludwigsfelde near Berlin, voted for the SPD in 2021, but was deterred this year by his pro-Ukraine policy, of which he also damaged the economy.
“No party really represents me,” said Mhanna.
The faltering economy was his greatest concern in this mood, he said, adding that it was also the reason for the rise of the AfD.
“I am anxious. Of course the conservatives will not build a coalition with them, but they will have a big name as an opposition and I am worried about this,” he added.
Azmouz said he hoped that the next leader of Germany, Friedrich Merz, would lead the country to prosperity.
“We hope that the party who took over it will have grace for people – not only refugees, but all German citizens,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)