Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg has announced he will return his Federal Cross of Merit in protest against a controversial vote in the German Bundestag.

The vote saw the Union party pass a migration policy proposal with support from the far-right AfD, sparking widespread criticism.

Weinberg, 99, who survived Auschwitz and other concentration camps, expressed deep disappointment, likening the situation to his youth under Nazi rule.

Photographer Luigi Toscano, known for his Holocaust remembrance work, will also return his medal, citing a betrayal of democratic values.

Both men plan to deliver their medals to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The incident has been described as a political turning point, with former Chancellor Angela Merkel among those condemning the vote.