The German labor ministry has updated the list of the most common names among welfare recipients, placing Mohammed at the top instead of Michael. This revision includes various spellings of names, such as Mohammed and Mohamed, which were previously listed separately. The change has sparked political debate, particularly among the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which uses these figures to support its arguments about integration challenges.
The report also details the growing proportion of foreign welfare recipients, reaching 48% of the total, compared to 19.6% in 2010. Germany continues to host over 1.2 million Ukrainians and receives nearly a third of the EU’s asylum applications in 2023. This migrant crisis has strained housing, public services, and finances, contributing to the rise of the AfD, which has become the most popular political party in the country.
The AfD came in second in February’s federal election with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag but was excluded from coalition talks. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has designated the AfD a “confirmed extremist entity.” While this classification was temporarily suspended, senior officials continue to seek legal grounds to pursue a formal ban on the party.