Germans protest nationwide after far-right meeting on deportation plan

People attend a protest against the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), right-wing extremism and for the protection of the democracy in Cologne, Germany January 16, 2024. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch

BERLIN/COLOGNE (Reuters) -Protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany party are gaining momentum in the wake of a report that two senior party members joined a meeting to discuss plans for the mass deportation of citizens of foreign origin.

While the party has long railed against immigrants, the proposals for "unassimilated citizens" to be deported to "a model state in north Africa", reported by outlet Correctiv, have struck a nerve in Germany. Some have compared them to the Nazis' initial plan to deport European Jews to Madagascar.