Controversy over AfD ‘Deportation Tickets’ in Karlsruhe

Flyers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are causing a stir in the area of the south-western city of Karlsruhe after “deportation tickets” from the party appeared in letterboxes.

The flyers, designed to resemble plane tickets, are aimed at “illegal immigrants.” The departure date is set for the day of the Bundestag election on February 23 for the journey: “From: Germany – To: Safe Country of Origin”.

According to a spokesman for the AfD association for the state of Baden-Württemberg, where the city is located, this is an election campaign by the Karlsruhe district association.

A spokesman for the federal party said upon request: “This is not promotional material from the AfD federal association.” Therefore, he could provide no information on it.

The Left party announced it would file a complaint against the AfD in Karlsruhe for threatening behaviour and incitement to hatred.

According to The Left party, the “deportation tickets” were distributed in the letterboxes of people with a migration background. In contrast, the AfD state association emphasized that the flyer was directed at all eligible voters, with a large portion still to be distributed in Karlsruhe.

It was said that about 30,000 copies were involved. The print template would also be forwarded to other district associations upon request.

The chairwoman of The Left in Baden-Württemberg, Sahra Mirow, said that with actions like this, the AfD is showing its true colours. “It divides our society and spreads hate and agitation,” she said, adding that she intends to join the complaint filed by Bundestag candidate Marcel Bauer.

It is unclear how many letterboxes the controversial flyer ended up in. There were many reactions to a single user who had posted a picture of the “ticket.”

The “ticket” was also briefly visible on the Facebook page of the AfD district association in Göppingen,its district chairman, Sandro Scheer, confirmed.

The Karlsruhe district association said it only intended to draw attention to illegal immigration. The “tickets” were not specifically targeted at people with a migration background, it said.

According to the local newspaper the Badische Neueste Nachrichten, the “tickets” were also presented at the federal party conference on Sunday.