Numerous German cities are grappling with the challenge of foreign infiltration. A brief video making rounds on Instagram highlights this issue, with Bochum serving as a prime example, stirring intense reactions from residents who feel overwhelmed and fed up.
A video featuring scenes from Bochum has been circulating on Instagram for two days, sparking numerous reactions. The video, reportedly recorded on February 12, 2024, in the center of the North Rhine-Westphalian city, depicts a gathering of mainly Sharia-compliant Muslim migrants of various ages in front of a row of houses, with the caption: “No, this is not Baghdad, but Bochum in the heart of the city.”
A quick search reveals that the footage portrays a street in Bochum, namely Brückstraße, in the city center. The reason for this congregation remains unclear. For instance, nearby lies the headquarters of a language school offering Arabic courses for children, young people, and adults. Since its publication, the video has garnered over 500 comments. “Poor Germany,” reads one comment, while another user questions the presence of a nearby job center. “Why remigration is unavoidable, summarized in a short video. No German can seriously desire these conditions,” writes another.
Integration efforts falter
With 373,733 inhabitants (as of November 2023), Bochum is the sixth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, following Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, and Duisburg. According to statistics from the city of Bochum, the number of residents with a migrant background totaled 97,661 in 2022, with 11,628 being of Syrian origin and 8,652 of Turkish origin. In 2023 (as of December 31, 2023), Syrians numbered 11,086 and Turks 8,888, constituting the largest groups among individuals holding foreign passports, followed by Poles (3,622), Ukrainians (3,916), and Romanians (2,324).
Regarding the integration of migrants into society, the labor market, and the prevailing crime rates, the city has grappled with immense challenges for decades. As evidenced by the Bochum integration profile, the city’s integration efforts often fail to adequately reach those who have migrated to Bochum. In many instances, linguistic and social integration proves unattainable even for second and third generations after immigration, potentially leading to an uptick in crime.
Lack of integration frequently correlates with crime
Politically, the city is dominated by the left-wing Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the 2022 state election, the SPD emerged as the strongest party with 33.4 percent, followed by the lef-wing Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) party, with 25.4 percent and the lefti-wing Greens party with 21.1 percent. At the time, Germany’s only conservative party, Alternative for Germany (AfD) occupied fourth place, ahead of the Marxist-Leninist Die Linke (3.1 percent) party and the liberal The Free Democratic Party (FDP) (4.9 percent), but garnered a relatively modest 5.3 percent of the vote.
It wasn’t until November 2023 that North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), declared that foreign crime should not be a taboo topic. “If too many people come to our country and we fail to integrate them properly, crime rates rise,” Bild quoted him as saying, citing figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office for 2022, which reported 47,923 crimes nationwide involving immigrant perpetrators and German victims. Echoing Reul’s sentiments, CDU state parliament member Gregor Golland also called for a reconsideration of migration policy.
Background: AfD’s Unique Position and Dr. Alice Weidel’s Leadership
For years the AfD party has been warning Germans of the threats from mass-Islamic and illegal migration. The AfD is the only classical European party on the German political spectrum, advocating for family values, securing borders, and preserving Germany as a nation-state. This stance aligns with sentiments reminiscent of President Trump’s presidency in the United States.
The party’s rise was fueled by public discontent over Angela Merkel’s decision to admit over a million predominantly Muslim migrants, causing security concerns and a surge in violent and deadly crimes. Voters, disillusioned with mainstream and left-wing parties, have increasingly embraced the AfD, making it the second most popular party.
Due to the party’s popularity, left-wing political and media elites have launched vicious, violent, and dangerous campaigns to delegitimize AfD members and voters, resorting to labels such as agitators, arsonists, far-right extremists, fascists, Nazis, homophobes, and xenophobes. The party, its politicians, and particularly its leader, Dr. Alice Weidel, face constant violent threats and attempts by the state to undermine and criminalize their party.
Ironically, the left, in their attacks on Weidel as a far-right radical, consistently overlooked her identity as a lesbian in a long-term relationship with her partner, a female film producer from Sri Lanka. This aspect challenges their smears and lies, revealing a dimension rarely acknowledged in their critiques. The couple has also two adopted children.
Furthermore, while the party is being smeared as Nazis, Jews in Germany have stopped supporting antisemitic left-wing parties and have flocked to the AfD. A board member for the party’s Jewish branch stated that AfD is the party that stands against anti-Semitism and fights for the Jewish community in Germany. The AfD is the only party standing up to “imported antisemitism” and Islamic hatred, as unchecked migration from Muslim-majority countries has flooded the country, putting Jews and all non-Muslims at risk.
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