LIVING IN GERMANY

The 2024 European election is the tenth direct election to the European Parliament and follows the 2019 European election. It will take place from 6 to 9 June 2024 in the 27 member states of the European Union. In Germany and Austria, it will be held on 9 June 2024. In Germany, citizens and EU foreigners are entitled to vote …

A project to support recent migrants from Africa in Berlin, including refugees and asylum-seekers as well as those displaced by the war in Ukraine, relaunches on 15 May. Implemented by German-African Initiative for Development and Integration gUG, a non-profit social organisation, YANA Berlin II (YANA for You are not alone in Berlin) assists the African migrants by providing them important …

There have been several attacks on politicians in Germany in recent weeks. For example, the SPD politician Franziska Giffey was injured in Berlin. In the city of Dresden, SPD politician Matthias Ecke was attacked. Attacks on politicians are currently on the rise. It’s election time in Germany as citizens prepare to vote at the European Parliament elections in early June. …

Black people, Asians and Muslims are more often affected by poverty in Germany, according to a survey. This is true even if they are well educated and employed. Marcel Fürstenau reports Racism is widespread in Germany. But what does this really mean for the people affected? The German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) in Berlin has published a …

Immigration authorities are working against the spirit of the law on skilled labour immigration, according to the association for foreign students in Germany. Many international students feel “downright fear and despair” when going to the authorities, the body said, suggesting how the situation could be improved The Federal Association of Foreign Students (Bundesverband ausländischer Studierender or BAS) has sharply criticised …

Almost every new month of the year brings new laws and regulations that affect various areas of everyday life. In May 2024, people living in Germany can once again expect important changes: higher minimum wages in elderly care, flights from Germany will become more expensive, new field added on identity cards etc. Here’s an overview of these and other new …

Pastor Elad Kiwanuka Epah was the victim of a suspected racist attack in Bad Belzig, Brandenburg, in the night of 24 to 25 April. The Cameroon-born clergyman was reportedly attacked by suspected neo-Nazi thugs. Briefly hospitalised, he was discharged in the afternoon of 25 April. The incident has been eliciting reactions from the African community in Germany. “This cowardly act …

German police announced on Wednesday that they had arrested 11 suspected members of a Nigerian criminal group behind a large-scale dating scam. A total of 19 homes and asylum hostels in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Hamburg were searched, according to the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigation and the Munich I public prosecutor’s office in a joint statement. Bavarian Minister …

Around 30 per cent of the population have a migration background, according to the new microcensus for 2023 published by the Federal Statistical Office. A person has a migration background if they themselves or at least one of their parents were not born with German citizenship. Specifically, this definition includes immigrant and non-immigrant foreigners, immigrant and non-immigrant naturalised citizens, late …

On 17 April 2024, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s new book entitled “Wir” (We) was presented at Bellevue Palace in Berlin. In “Wir”, President Steinmeier recalls milestones and experiences that have shaped Germany over the past 75 years. In doing so, he emphasised the efforts of joint action, from which political strength arises. In his speech at the event, Steinmeier emphasised the …

On 8 April, representatives of the federal administration met in Berlin with civil society stakeholders to develop a holistic diversity strategy for the federal administration. This working group, consisting of all federal ministries, federal government commissioners and representatives of the trade unions, reflected the diverse society and endeavoured to reflect this in the public service. Federal Minister of the Interior …

Housing is the social issue of the 21st century, German politicians and experts say time and again. And yet there’s no improvement in sight, especially in cities, where affordable housing is in short supply. Oliver Pieper reports Amir Schraff’s (name changed by the editors) nightmare began on December 24, 2022. On that day, the single father from Afghanistan, who had …

Germany recorded more than 214,000 criminal acts of violence last year, according to official police statistics. Overall crime also rose, according to data seen by the German paper Welt am Sonntag. Nik Martin reports Germany recorded a large rise in violent crime in 2023, the first year without pandemic restrictions, police statistics published Saturday showed. Welt am Sonntag, which gained …

The tubman.network e.V., an umbrella organisation of Black organisations in Germany dedicated to supporting people of African and Afro-diasporic origin who have fled Ukraine and other conflict-ridden regions, has issued a press release drawing attention to the fate of a Ukrainian child who is being denied vital medical care and also threatened with deportation to Nigeria. “This stands in contradiction …

In April 2024, a number of new regulations and laws will come into force that will have an impact on various areas of life in Germany. What new laws are coming into force? What will change for you in your everyday life? We have summarised the important changes for you here. Normal VAT for gas and district heatingTo mitigate the …

German employers are short of hundreds of thousands of workers. To respond to the skills shortages in the country, the current federal government made a reform of the existing laws governing immigration into the country a major priority when it assumed office. The objective of the reform is to address the acute labour shortage in most sectors by bringing in …

Leading African business networking group in Germany to hold what it describes as a transformative meeting on the opportunities of artificial intelligence for BIPOC small and medium businesses Eschborn, Germany – March 15, 2024 – Alfajiri Business Networking is pleased to announce its upcoming meeting scheduled for 20 April 2024, from 08:30 to 10:30 hours at the renowned Nairobi Restaurant …

African-owned company offers opportunity for self-employment in mobile care business Gosab Care GmbH, the Cologne-based provider of nursing care service, is looking for passionate individuals to join its franchise network in Germany. The company, which specialises in outpatient and intensive care, is expanding across the country and is offering interested persons the unique opportunity to get into the care business …

According to a judgement of the Lower Saxony-Bremen State Social Court, recipients of basic social security benefits (Grundsicherung) must be able to prove their place of residence to the authorities in cases of doubt. The burden of proof lies with them and not with the Jobcenter, the court ruled in the case of a Nigerian couple who were registered in …

A number of new laws and regulations will come into force in Germany from March 2024. These legislative changes affect various areas of daily life. For example, while many public sector employees can look forward to more money, some pensioners will now receive less in their accounts. Household appliances to become more efficient and skilled workers can immigrate to Germany …