LIVING IN GERMANY

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany held its “Networking Summit for Nigerians in Germany” on Saturday (27 July) in Berlin. The event was “designed to identify potential solutions for fostering Nigeria’s economic development” and “an opportunity to contribute to efforts to find solutions to the myriad problems confronting our nation,” according to NIDO Germany. Dr (Engr) Moses Ogun, President …

Many institutions are currently making attempts to revisit their colonial past. In Dortmund, the LWL Museum Zeche Zollern recently opened the exhibition “Das ist kolonial” which will run until 26 October 2025. The exhibition is an attempt to make Westphalia’s role and (in)visible legacy of colonialism visible. In Dresden, an exhibition entitled “Menschen anSchauen” at the Stadtmuseum ended on 7 …

August 2024 brings numerous changes affecting various aspects of everyday life in Germany. Here is a comprehensive overview of the most important changes. Submit your 2023 tax return on time! One of the most important deadlines in August concerns the submission of tax returns for 2023. Anyone who prepares their own taxes must submit their return by 2 September 2024. …

Press Release – Berlin, 26 July 2024 │The first Afro Football Forum will take place at the NIO House, Kurfurstendamm, Berlin on 15 August, with the theme Impact Beyond the Pitch. The Afro Football Forum is a meeting point for Africans working in football in Europe. It will bring together industry professionals working in football media, management, agency, marketing as …

On Saturday (20 July), the streets of Berlin resonated with the voices of about a hundred protesters from the Black community and their allies, who gathered to express their outrage and demand justice for the recent killing of William Chedjou. The 37-year-old Cameroonian man was stabbed to death by a Turkish man during an argument over parking space on 11 …

Hi there, I’m Nesa. If you haven’t read the previous episodes, I advise you to stop reading. Go back, read them, and then come back. Don’t worry; I’ll be right here waiting for you. And if you’ve already read the previous episodes, buckle up, and let’s continue our journey. I would not call myself a DADA BEE (a Ghanaian colloquialism). …

William Chedjou, a Cameroonian, was stabbed to death during an argument over parking space on Thursday evening in Berlin. The incident took place shortly after 6 pm in Böttgerstraße and the victim and perpetrator did not previously know each other, the police said. According to media reports, the 37-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach by a Turkish man, initially …

Hi again, Nesa here. Welcome back to the second episode of my journey. Today, we dive into my experience relocating from Ghana to Germany, a journey that redefined my path and taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, starting afresh, and seizing opportunities. To be honest, I never imagined I would settle in Germany. Born here but raised in Ghana, I …

Karamba Diaby, the first African-born member of the German parliament, has announced that he would not run in next year’s federal election. Dr Diaby, who was first elected into the Bundestag in 2013, wants to spend more time with his family and make way for younger politicians. Here’s the public statement he issued on Wednesday to announce his decision not …

Concerned about their homeland, which is experiencing tough economic times, Nigerians in Germany will gather in Berlin on 27 July. The summit, which will feature expert panel discussions, an exhibition of Nigerian start-ups and cultural events, will produce a communique with recommendations for the Nigerian government. Nigeria is currently experiencing challenging economic conditions due to significant policy decisions implemented by …

In her new short autobiographic book, Cologne-based legal scholar and creative author Nesa narrates her story, of an African girl who was born in Germany but raised in the continent and now lives in the country of her birth. This is the first episode of Nesa’s chronicle Hi, I’m Nesa, and over the next ten weeks, I’ll be taking you …

A street has been named after the Afro-American poet and civil rights activist Audre Lorde in Berlin. Audre-Lorde-Strasse was inaugurated with a ceremony on the corner of Audre-Lorde-Str./Muskauer Str on Friday (28 June 2024). Among the personalities who attended the event were Clara Herrmann (district mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) and Werner Heck (head of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district council) as well as …

The reformed Citizenship Law entered into effect on 27 June 2024 and it’s expected to make it easier for foreign residents to become German nationals. Among the features of the legislation, the ‘Act on the Modernisation of Citizenship Law’ (das Gesetz zur Modernisierung des Staatsangehörigkeitsrechts (StARModG)), are that foreigners living legally in Germany will be able to apply for a …

The new month brings many changes that directly affect different areas of life in Germany. Pensions rise significantly, change of surnames now easier, breast cancer screening for older women, cannabis cultivation now allowed, black box to be mandatory for cars etc. Here’s an overview of all important changes in July 2024.   Pensions rise significantly Pensions will rise by 4.57 …

The European Parliament elections took place on Sunday 9 June 2024 in Germany. Local elections (Kommunalwahlen) were also held in eight German federal states on that day. Many Afro-German candidates contested at the elections and 10 of them were successful. Dr Sylvie Nantcha, Chairperson of The African Network of Germany (TANG), comprising more than 900 non-profit groups and individuals, has …

When government recognises paternity it grants right of residence in Germany to a foreign parent. This is the case when a woman without regular residency rights gives birth to a child and a man who has a German nationality or long-term residence permit in Germany is acknowledged as the father, the mother and child are granted regular residence permit. The …

Germany’s coalition government faces internal strife after a poor performance in the EU elections. With significant losses for SPD, Greens, and FDP, the coalition’s future is uncertain as calls for new elections grow. Sabine Kinkartz of the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reports French President Emmanuel Macron is taking the bull by the horns. On Sunday evening, after being …

Appeal for massive turn out at EU and Local Elections on Sunday The European Parliament elections will take place on Sunday 6 June 2024 in Germany. The 2024 polls will be the tenth parliamentary elections since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first after Brexit. This year is especially important, as the rise of the far right poses …

Regulations and laws are constantly changing in Germany. June 2024, too, brings new ones that affect various areas of everyday life. For example, the plastic BahnCard will be a thing of the past, 16-17 year-olds will be allowed to vote in the European elections for the first time and foreigners will be able to naturalise more easily. Also, the new …

In 2023, around 200,100 foreign nationals were naturalised in Germany, the highest number since the time series began in 2000. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in a report published on Tuesday, the number of naturalisations rose by around 31,000 (+19%) in 2023 compared to the previous year, having already increased by around 37,000 (+28%) in 2022 compared to …