It happened again on a train the other day: When the conductor came to check train tickets, Nour Al Zoubi was the only person in her compartment who needed to show identification. The conductor threatened to call the police if she did not comply. This was a typical situation for this Syrian-born social worker, who now works as a consultant for the Thuringia Refugee Council.
"There is this kind of everyday racism," she told DW. "But after living in Gera for six years, I'm used to it — I know how to handle it."
Moving away is out of the question for Al Zoubi — even if the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), classified as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency — were to win the Thuringian state election on September 1. Al Zoubi says that Thuringia is her home. She was awarded Gera's Integration Prize in 2020 for a newspaper project she founded for refugees.
After the incident with the train conductor, she received reassurance and encouragement from two older female passengers — things like that make her feel that she can stay.
"The number of AfD voters has increased — but so has the number of Germans committed to a culture of welcoming immigrants," she said. Al Zoubi knows some people who are considering leaving Thuringia if the AfD wins, but others don't have the option.
"Not all migrants in Thuringia can. Refugees and asylum seekers are required to stay in Thuringia for three years due to restrictive residence regulations."
The mood toward immigrants has been increasingly........