The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) demanded major pro-immigration commitments as a precondition for joining a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

The topic of immigration has grown in prominence in Germany since the arrival of a large influx of immigrants in 2015, buoying the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, which won second place during national elections last month with 20.8% of the vote. The victorious CDU, with 28.6% of the vote, ran on a platform favoring stricter migration controls, a stance popular with the majority of Germans.