It always starts the same way. A tragedy, a crime… something that shakes a community. Then boom – comes the headlines, the politicians stepping in with promises to “fix” things. And before you know it, the conversation shifts. Not about what actually happened, but about who to blame.
In Germany, it was the attack in Aschaffenburg, where an Afghan asylum seeker stabbed a child and an adult. The loss was devastating, and the grief of the victims’ families is immeasurable. But almost instantly, the conversation shifted, not just about the crime itself, but about what it meant for Germany’s immigration policies.
In America, it’s the ongoing immigration battle, intensified by Trump’s new executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Across Europe, the rhetoric is shifting, and with it, the lives of millions.
The Political Game
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany, a party that once positioned itself as a centrist force, had long drawn a clear line… no cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). But now, it seems that line is fading.
Their leader, Friedrich Merz, stood before parliament with a plan. With the AfD gaining ground, the CDU sees an opportunity. And how do they seize it? By tapping into fear. By pushing for tighter borders, mass deportations, stronger police crackdowns, and a Germany that feels, once again, like it belongs to Germans first.
This isn’t just about policies. It’s about politics.
For years, the CDU has walked a fine line. They’ve tried to stay away from the far-right (AfD), refusing to work with them. But the AfD is growing fast, especially in Eastern Germany, where people feel neglected. More voters are listening to their anti-immigration stance, and the CDU knows it.
So, what do they do? They don’t join the AfD outright, but they start sounding like them.
Merz wasted no time pushing his new five-point plan, one that tightens Germany’s borders, expands police powers, and speeds up deportations. He calls for immediate pushbacks of undocumented migrants at the border and mass detentions for those awaiting deportation. Federal police, under his plan, would bypass the courts, applying for arrest warrants themselves. Deportations would be handled daily, with no more delays. And those deemed “dangerous”? They could be locked up indefinitely.
This is the kind of policy that wins votes from conservatives who are already concerned about cultural changes and economic challenges they attribute to immigration.
History has seen this before, hasn’t it? When fear is weaponized, when economic struggles are blamed on certain groups, when a nation is told it must “take back control.” Sound familiar?
Is this the moment Germany changes forever? And it’s not just Germany.
The U.S. Parallels
Across the Atlantic, Trump is making headlines with his immigration policies. His latest executive orders include ending birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens and expanding detainment measures. He’s talking about “taking back America,” about immigrants being a burden on the system.
Like the CDU in Germany, Trump isn’t just targeting immigration… he’s targeting the emotions behind it. Fear of change. Fear of crime. Fear of losing cultural identity. And it’s working.
The Republican base is rallying, just as conservative voters in Germany are responding to Merz’s hardline stance.
But at what cost?
The Human Cost of Politics
For the millions of migrants caught in the crossfire, these debates aren’t about elections. It’s about survival.
In Germany, asylum seekers who have lived peacefully for years now don’t know if they’ll be forced out. People who have built lives, found jobs, learned the language… now wondering if one new law will send them back. For some, that means returning to a country they barely remember.
Will they be next on a deportation flight? Will they be locked in detention centres, awaiting an uncertain future?
In the U.S., immigrant families are terrified for their children. If Trump’s order holds, what will it mean for kids who have only ever known the U.S. as home? Will they be stateless, belonging to no country?
This isn’t abstract. These aren’t just statistics. This is real!
It affects mental health. It affects job security. It affects basic human dignity. It forces people to live in the shadows, constantly looking over their shoulders.
These are parents, workers, students… people who just want stability, safety, and a future.
A Global Trend
Germany and the U.S. aren’t alone. Across Europe, anti-immigration rhetoric is spreading fast. France. Italy. The UK. Countries that once championed asylum rights are now building higher walls (both literal and figurative).
The message is clear: migration is no longer welcomed; it is tolerated at best, demonized at worst.
But history tells a different story. Migration has always been part of humanity. Nations were built on movement, on people searching for better opportunities, on cultures enriched by diversity. And yet, in tough times, immigrants are always the first to be blamed.
So, What Now?
The CDU will keep pushing its hardline stance because it works politically. And the AfD, the far-right, the nationalists? They will keep growing as long as fear is more powerful than facts.
At some point, societies must ask themselves: what kind of world do we want to live in? One driven by fear, exclusion, and division? Or one that acknowledges the complexities of migration, that finds solutions rather than scapegoats?
Because one thing is certain;
When politics turns people into scapegoats, it’s always the most vulnerable who pay the price.
