LIVING IN GERMANY

Major victory over housing discrimination in Germany as court fines a landlord for refusing to let his apartment to an African. It’s symbolic that the verdict was delivered on 10 December, the International Human Rights Day. A court has ruled that it’s illegal for a landlord or landlady to refuse to rent a flat to a would-be tenant on account …

Every fifth person of working age has a migration background in Germany. But they only make up six per cent of the employees in the civil service. This was revealed by a recent study. Experts call for intercultural opening of public administration. Citizens with foreign origin are severely under-represented in the civil service (öffentlichen Dienst). This is the conclusion of …

A few new laws and regulations come into force in Germany in December 2019. Some of the important changes affect Hartz IV recipients, fireworks, railway time-table and highway tolls for travellers to Austria. ………… More money for Hartz IV recipients  Starting from next year, the standard rates for Unemployment Benefit II – better known as Hartz IV – will be …

The historic People of African Descent (PAD) Week Germany ended on Saturday in Berlin with workshops and panel discussions on the situation of Black people in the country. Organised by Each One Teach One (EOTO) e.V., a community-based education and empowerment project, PAD Week Germany, held on 28-30 November and attended by more than 250 participants, also marked the third …

The national association of German journalists with a migration background has criticised the two major public broadcasting services in Germany for promoting prejudice against people of foreign origin in the country.

How long it takes from the time you apply to the presentation of the certificate of naturalisation varies from case to case, but, on average, it takes several months. In some cases, it could even take years. A new online procedure should make naturalization more citizen-friendly, easier and faster. Two states, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, are currently jointly developing an …

Honorary consuls are designated by a foreign government to look after the affairs of its citizens.

At the beginning of each month, a number of new laws and regulations enter into force in Germany. An overview of the most important changes in November 2019: ——————- Online identification for Germans and EU citizens The online identification function (Online-Ausweisfunktion or eID-Funktion) of the national ID card (Ausweis) enables German citizens to identify themselves on the Internet. For example, …

Hartz IV, basic social security in old age, benefits for asylum-seekers: More than..

The rent-cap decision was taken by Berlin’s governing parties (SPD, the Left party and Greens) in reaction to the outcry of residents who have gone to the streets several times in recent years to protest the ever-increasing rent in the city.

Here is a list of useful emergency telephone numbers (Notrufnummern) in Germany from the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (Bundesamtes für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe, BBK): First aid emergency and fire brigade: 112 Calls to 112 are free of charge and can be made from a landline, pay phone or mobile phone. Dialling the number will direct you …

Jacklyne Achieng Kuhn started the group to offer Kenyan women a platform where they can support, interact and uplift each other.

Migrants with a good command of German language have the same opportunities on the German labour market as natives. This is the result of a study conducted by the Cologne-based Institute of German Business. With the same level of education and good German language proficiency, migrants, according to a new study, equally earn high wages as natives. Accordingly, higher levels …

Members of the Nigerian community, associates and friends gathered on 2 October, at the main cemetery in the German city of Mönchengladbach, to bid the final farewell to Dr Daniel Yakubu Kutchin. The Nigerian scholar, IT expert and development activist died on 7 August at the age of 57.   A brief Christian funeral service preceded the interment of the …

At the beginning of each month, a number of new laws and regulations enter into force in Germany. In October 2019, the clocks will be switched to winter time, low-income households in Berlin get a higher rent subsidy, vehicles can now be registered online without visiting the registration office etc. The African Courier reveals the most important changes for consumers. …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany (NIDOG) has announced the funeral arrangement for the late Dr Daniel Yakubu Kutchin, who was found dead in his apartment in the German city of Mönchengladbach on 7 August. The body of the Nigerian nuclear physicist and IT expert will be laid to rest in Mönchengladbach on 2 October, NIDOG announced on Monday. In …

A newly-founded group representing African youths has held its first formal meeting in Berlin. Our correspondent Nelly Sarpong, who is also a founding member of the association, writes on its objectives and plans going forward. African Youth Abroad Empowerment, AYAE, was founded as a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization to participate actively in educating and empowering youths living in the …

Food banks (Tafel) are non-profit organizations that collect food mostly from supermarkets, distributors and farmers, which would otherwise be destroyed, and distribute to the needy for free.

A number of new laws and regulations – affecting online banking and payment for online transactions, appointments at the doctor’s and insurance coverage for HIV prophylaxis drugs, allowances for asylum-seekers and the cost of sending packets etc – enter into effect in the new month. The most important changes are in this overview. HEALTH New incentives for quicker appointments for …

Resident foreigners convicted by German courts are increasingly being expelled from the country irrespective of their residency status. This was revealed in the response of the federal government to a parliamentary enquiry of the Linke party in the Bundestag, the news agency epd has reported. According to the report, 7,408 deportation orders were issued last year. In 2017, there were …