LIVING IN GERMANY

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 …

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 …