LIVING IN GERMANY

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 …

While the assault on Senator Ike Ekweremadu has been strongly condemned by all Nigerian diaspora organisations, some commentators have called for a broader look at the import of the unfortunate incident for the culture of governance in their home country. Dr Ike Ekweremadu, a member of the Nigerian Senate – the upper chamber of the country’s bicameral national legislature, was …

The physical assault on the person of Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the Second Annual Igbo Cultural Day on 17 August in the German city of Nuremberg has been attracting different reactions from Nigerians in the diaspora. The attack is suspected to have been carried out by members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an organisation agitating for a separate independent …

Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, HE Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, hosted a delegation* of the Edo Community of Nigeria, Germany e.V. (Edo`s in Germany) on Friday, 16 August in Berlin. Alhaji Tuggar held a meeting with the delegation, including members of the national executive council of Edo Community Germany, in the company of Ambassador (Mrs) Shakirat Ogundero, the Deputy Head of Mission, …

During the first half of 2019, German authorities registered 8,605 far-right hate crimes. That was 900 more than in the first half of 2018. In the first half of 2019, the authorities registered 8,605 extreme right-wing crimes in Germany. These included 363 acts of violence. A total of 179 people were injured, according the Federal Government in response to a …