“If it’s to be called remigration, then it’s just called remigration,” Weidel declared to applause, employing a euphemism for mass deportations once used only by the party’s most radical fringe.
“Only remigration can still save Germany,” read the fake plane tickets, according to an image the AfD chapter shared online.
Police are investigating the incident as a possible case of incitement to hatred, according to public broadcaster SWR. The outlet also reported that fake tickets were distributed in neighborhoods with a high number of migrants. The party, however, denied it was specifically targeted migrant neighborhoods.
“The election flyer is currently being distributed in Karlsruhe in as large a number as possible and without any particular specifications or restrictions,” the Karlsruhe AfD chapter said in a statement. “It is intended to make voters aware of our proposals in this area, which are fully in line with the legal situation.” The deportation message was directed at noncitizens in the country illegally, the party also said.
The fake tickets sparked an uproar among mainstream political leaders in Germany.
“Nobody will come to Germany if they have the feeling that racism rules here, and that is pure racism,” Greens chancellor candidate Robert Habeck said Tuesday.
