As the ideal German immigrant, I saw how a racist integration system enables the country’s far right

As Germany gets ready to vote on February 23, the right-wing extremist party Alternative Für Deutschland issued campaign posters designed as deportation tickets. It included words such as “remigration”, which was intended to mean deporting all migrants back to their countries of origin.

Even as support for the party seems to be growing, Germany is experiencing a dire labour crisis. It needs skilled and professional workers in several sectors. The largest shortage of professionals is in STEM and health-related occupations.

Among reasons for this labour shortage, ageing ranks high, if not the first. One-fifth of the German population is aged over 65.

An estimated 1.8 million more Germans will need long-term care until 2055 and the number of workers needed to provide these services will increase by 37%. This potential employment demand in the care sector may have to be filled exclusively by foreign workers due to the hesitance of Germans to take these poorly paid jobs.

How did Germany end up in this situation? On the one hand, there is rising anti-immigrant sentiment and on the other, a desperate need for more foreign workers.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is under fire for sending election campaign flyers labeled “deportation ticket” to people in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe.

The flyers feature the passenger…

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