Incongruent? Refugee Influx, Liberalism and Nationalism in Germany

Abstract

The last four years have been extremely challenging for Germany in the
sense that the influx of millions of refugees has created deep divisions
within German society. These divisions, by giving rise to xenophobia
and nationalist tendencies, have shaken the foundation liberalism in
Germany. This paper explores the impact of the recent influx of
migrants and refugee on German society. It also focuses on the rise of
Alternative for Germany (AfD), its anti-refugee narrative and the
factors behind its growing appeal among German citizens. It does this
by, first, exploring the concepts of state, nation, nationalism, identity
and their relationship with each other and later on applying these
concepts to the German Context. Finally, this paper highlights the ways
in which the Alternative for Germany has tried to shape the political
discourse around refugees and migrants.