Stefan Möller, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), stated in Thuringia that the party aims to deport refugees rather than employ them. Möller made the remarks while defending Robert Sesselmann, the AfD’s district director, praising Sesselmann’s efforts to ramp up deportations and reject proposals for asylum seekers to engage in community service. “The public expects the AfD not to offer jobs to asylum seekers, but to deport them all,” Möller asserted.
Möller’s statements came in response to accusations against Sesselmann, the AfD district director in Sonneberg, for not working to employ asylum seekers or encouraging them to volunteer for community service. This contrasts with the actions of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) district director in Thuringia, who has provided jobs for more than 100 asylum seekers.
District administrators are expected to invite asylum seekers to engage in voluntary work for four hours a day at a rate of 80 cents per hour, with sanctions imposed on those who refuse. However, the AfD opposes this policy, instead advocating for the deportation of asylum seekers from the country.
Möller reiterated the party’s unwavering stance on refugees, despite the ongoing skilled labor shortage and its effects on the German economy. He emphasized that “the Alternative for Germany party prioritizes tapping into its own resources to combat the shortage of skilled workers.”
The AFD is leading in opinion polls for the Thuringian elections scheduled for early September. The party has maintained its position at the top of the polls for the past few months, raising concerns that if it succeeds in the state elections, it will become the largest political force in the state for the first time. However, the AFD faces widespread reluctance to collaborate with it, especially since the state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the party as extreme right-wing. This situation diminishes the party’s chances of assuming power in the state.
