Magdeburg shop closures: migrant entrepreneurs stage a one-day protest against racism and AfD

Entrepreneurs with migrant backgrounds in Magdeburg closed their shops for several hours on 26 August 2026 as a political protest against racism and the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt.

Organised as a coordinated action, many business owners shut their premises between 10:00 and 15:00 local time to send a visible signal against exclusion. The initiative, supported by the Refugee Council of Saxony-Anhalt, says more than 120 proprietors took part.

In the afternoon a public gathering before the state parliament was due to give participants the opportunity to share personal testimonies. "Do not let yourselves be divided into foreigners and Germans. Society must remain united," said Saaed Saaed of the Refugee Council, summarising the organisers' aim that the so-called "migrant strike" should wake up the public and encourage voters to scrutinise AfD's programme closely.

Economists warn of damage to growth if AfD takes power

Researchers and economic institutes have warned that an AfD-led state government in Saxony-Anhalt could slow the region's economic growth significantly. Reint Grop, director at the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (IWH) in Halle, told a German newspaper that "xenophobic politics are bad for the economy" and that preliminary estimates indicate regional growth could fall "by around half to one percentage point per year."

Analysts point to the role of immigration in sustaining the local workforce: while the share of foreign workers in the care sector is relatively low in Saxony-Anhalt, it reaches between 33 and 40 percent in food production, construction, hospitality and logistics. Around 20 percent of doctors in the state are foreign nationals.

Another study, from the Institute of the German Economy (IW) in Cologne, warns that without immigration eastern German states will face severe labour shortages. The IW paper shows the population aged 15–66 in the eastern states fell from 10.05 million at the end of 1995 to 7.74 million at the end of 2025 — a 23 percent decline — and projects further contraction through 2035 and 2045 if migration decreases.

The state election in Saxony-Anhalt is scheduled for 6 September 2026. Organisers of the protest say the migrant business closures are both a demonstration of belonging and a plea to voters to consider the social and economic consequences of anti-immigrant policies.

Photo: press material from the event