(DPA) Maryam has a clear idea of which party she does not want to see leading Germany for the next four years.
Voting for the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) on February 23 “is out of the question for me,” the 28-year-old Berlin resident says, particularly because “as a foreigner, they see me as something of an enemy.”
Like many other Syrians, Maryam — who did not wish to use her real name — came to Germany in 2015 after civil war broke out in her native country.
Having received her German passport in 2023, she is eligible to cast a ballot for the first time.
Germany is home to some 1.3 million people who either emigrated from Syria themselves or whose parents did, according to official figures. By the end of 2023, some 214,000 including minors had German citizenship — a growing voting bloc.
