AfD files criminal complaint against Merz over ‘ethnic cleansing plan’ remark

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has filed a criminal complaint against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his statement that the party’s ‘remigration’ plans constitute ‘ethnic cleansing’.

AfD MP Stefan Brandner assessed that Merz’s statement crossed the line and demanded that the German judiciary react.

“The insinuation that the AfD parliamentary group, which stands firmly on the foundations of the German constitution, supports ethnic cleansing — ultimately deportations and killings — is so blatant that the judiciary must react,” Brandner said.

During a Bundestag debate on Wednesday, Merz said that ‘remigration’ is simply another name for ‘ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color,’ reports the Brussels portal Politico.

At the same time, he warned that the AfD’s strict migration policy would cause major damage to the German economy.

Under Article 46 of the German Constitution, Bundestag members generally enjoy protection from legal action for statements made in parliament.

However, this protection does not apply in the case of ‘defamatory insults,’ which the AfD refers to in its complaint.

The term ‘remigration’ is used by the AfD to refer to the return or deportation of migrants whom the party considers to have no right to stay in Germany. The concept can include the deportation of people without legal status, but also broader plans for the emigration of migrants and their descendants.

Merz has so far not commented on the AfD’s complaint, while his press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In its election program for the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD devoted a special chapter to ‘immigration and remigration’ issues. The party won the elections in that province convincingly on Sunday.