The leader of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, stated this Sunday that her party intends to expel all Ukrainian and Syrian citizens who have arrived in the country in recent years, a figure she places in several hundred thousand for each of these nationalities.
"In Germany, there are more than a million Ukrainians receiving social benefits. It's incredible. None of this is economically sustainable anymore," Weidel has stated in an interview with the Austrian television AUF1.
According to the AfD leader, these Ukrainians "also have to return" and she referred "especially to young Ukrainians of military age." "We are talking about six-figure numbers. These men have to return kindly," she pointed out.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Weidel reiterated her demand to "cease payments to Ukraine and all support for the war." "We are going to make substantial claims for reimbursement to Ukraine," she warned, referring to the aid already sent by Berlin.
In relation to Syria, she argued that "since the reason they fled no longer exists in their country of origin, they have to return." "Asylum is a temporary right and when the reason for asylum no longer exists, these people have to go back and should not be naturalized," she argued while defending repatriation.
Additionally, she indicated that, if they come to power, "we will review naturalized Syrians to see if the criteria for granting citizenship were truly met." "We have considerable doubts," she noted, suggesting that nationalities already granted could be revoked.
Weidel also criticized the current chancellor, the conservative Friedrich Merz, about whom she predicted "they are going to replace him." "I am convinced. I don't see any truly viable alternative in the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) because they have a credibility problem," she stated.
Regarding the EU, she announced that her party will demand a thorough review of Germany's contributions. "We simply are not going to continue financing all the fun of our neighbors (...). We want our money back and we are going to make substantial cuts," she promised.
"We will see the drama in Brussels and Strasbourg when we stop financing this whole circus. I am looking forward to seeing their reaction," she emphasized, anticipating a head-on clash with European institutions if her proposals were to be implemented.