AfD debate over foreign doctors in Germany

The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has sparked debate regarding the role of foreign physicians in Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the party proposed a program to replace foreign doctors with German medical students, using the slogan “Medizinstudenten statt Importärzte.”

Medical associations and political figures have raised alarms over this proposal. Critics note that approximately 18.5% of the physician workforce in Saxony-Anhalt consists of doctors with migration backgrounds and that many are essential for rural healthcare. FDP state minister Lydia Hüskens described the plan as unrealistic, suggesting that training sufficient domestic doctors would take decades.

As the debate continues into regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the German Medical Association has defended the necessity of international staff. President Klaus Reinhardt has warned against the “political exploitation” of the growing physician shortage. Speaking to the Funke media group, Reinhardt emphasized that patients and professionals require practical solutions rather than rhetoric that exacerbates the situation.

Reinhardt noted that foreign doctors are currently “indispensable” to the German healthcare system, serving in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and outpatient care, with many holding leadership positions. While acknowledging the need to increase medical school capacity, he argued that Germany must continue to facilitate opportunities for highly qualified doctors from abroad to address shortages, particularly in rural areas.