The Alternative for Germany party helped conservatives push an immigration restriction proposal over the threshold this week, breaking the long-standing “firewall” separating the party from mainstream politics.

The German Bundestag will hold a debate on the "influx limitation law" then vote on it. The law, proposed by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, could pass in the lower house with the aid of the far-right AfD party.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Germany on Thursday after a controversial motion demanding migration reforms was passed in parliament the previous day with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

German members of parliament held an emotional debate about whether to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Thursday, after it helped to pass a controversial motion in parliament the previous day demanding hard-line migration reforms.