LIVING IN GERMANY

Like almost every month, July 2023 also brings some important changes for people living in Germany. This is because new laws and regulations will come into force which may have an impact on your everyday life. Here are the major changes that will enter into effect in the new month: —— Abolition of the Maestro function on giro cards From …

ANNOUNCEMENT The extraordinary seminar programme offered by the State of Berlin on the topic of start-ups and self-employment for people with a migration background interested in starting a business begins a new round in July! For the past 21 years, the state of Berlin has been strengthening cultural diversity of Berlin’s start-ups and has been running the seminar series “Vielfalt gründet” (formerly: …

Almost one third of the Hessian population has an immigration history, according to the State Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. In 2022, 1.97 million inhabitants of Hesse, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, accounting for 31.3 per cent of all inhabitants have a migration background. As of 31 December 2022, 6.39 million people lived in the state, the largest population since …

Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag, has passed a bill to reform the Skilled Workers Immigration Act into law. The MPs of the federal governing coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP voted almost unanimously in favour of the draft law on Friday. The opposition parties, the CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD, voted against the bill while the left-leaning Linke abstained. The …

The German chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has elected a new executive committee. The election was part of the body’s annual general meeting, which took place virtually on Saturday, 17 June. Dr (Engr) Moses Kolade Ogun was elected with 83% of the votes cast to lead NIDO Germany as President for the next two years. He replaced …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually on 17 June in Berlin. The event will also feature the election of a new Executive Committee to run the affairs of the group, which is the umbrella body for Nigerians living in Germany, for the next two years. Originally planned as a hybrid …

As a measure against the shortage of skilled workers in Germany, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze (SPD) wants to focus more on immigration. “In the search for skilled workers, we should pay more attention to developing countries,” Schulze told the Funke Mediengruppe. Many of these countries face the challenge of creating enough jobs for their young, …

Around 168,500 people were granted German citizenship in 2022 – an increase of 28 percent compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden has reported. It’s the highest number of people who applied for and were granted German nationality in a single year in the past two decades. Syrian nationals accounted for the largest share of naturalisations …

There is enough work, but often there is a lack of skilled workers. That is the situation across Germany. The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, governed by a CDU-Green coalition, has therefore launched a “skilled labour offensive”, as already agreed in their coalition agreement. To combat the shortage of skilled workers, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), one of Germany’s 16 federal states, …

Like almost every month, June 2023 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. Find out here which concrete changes, including new laws, are coming and what you have to prepare for. —— Refunds for rail delays to become more complicatedOn 7 June, a new EU passenger rights regulation will come into force by law. Consumer advocates criticise that …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually and in-person on 17 June in Berlin. The hybrid event will also feature the election of a new Executive Committee to run the affairs of the group, which is the umbrella body for Nigerians living in Germany, for the next two years. “Members of …

Last year, more than 13,000 people failed the German-language tests required for reunification with their spouses living in Germany. Failure rates were particularly high in African countries. Critics say the language requirements are too stringent and are hindering people from exercising their right to family life. According to a new report by the news agency Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), 13,607 people …

Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled with a trade delegation to Ethiopia and Kenya from 4 to 6 May 2023. Many important issues, including combating climate change, current conflicts in the continent and economic cooperation, were discussed in his meetings with with political leaders as well as representatives of the business community, civil society and culture. A special report on the Chancellor’s …

The African Network of Germany (TANG) has issued a statement on the mistreatment of a group of visiting four African pupils in the south-western German city of Mannheim recently. The police in the early morning of 27 April had stormed a flat where the four pupils were staying. The officers, who carried out the raid at gunpoint and with hooded …

A fire broke out on Wednesday at a building in the eastern German city of Halle (Saale) that houses the constituency office of Dr Karamba Diaby, an SPD Member of the Federal Parliament. The police suspects that the fire was deliberately set and a suspected perpetrator has been arrested. According to reports, witnesses noticed flames at the building in Große …

There are many opportunities for startups in Germany. A few tips that will help you achieve success. —— Find a space for your ideas  For years, Berlin has also been regarded as Germany’s startup capital. Every year, more than 500 new businesses are launched there. However, cities in the Ruhr region, such as Essen or Dortmund, repeatedly top the German rankings because …

Almost a quarter of the people living in Germany last year have an immigration history. That is 20.2 million people or 24.3 per cent of the total population, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday in a micro census data report. The authorities defined people with an immigration history as those who arrived in Germany since 1950 and their direct …

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented former Chancellor Angela Merkel with the country’s highest honour on Monday at a ceremony in Berlin. Ms Merkel, who was head of government for 16 years, was honoured with the Großkreuz des Verdienstordens (“Grand Cross of the Order of Merit”) for her contribution to German political life. The national honour has been received by only two …

Berlin is awarding prizes to entrepreneurs with a migration background operating in the city, which is also a federal state. The prize, Vielfalt unternimmt – Berlin würdigt migrantische Unternehmen and awarded once in two years, gives public recognition to the achievements of minority entrepreneurs who are contributing greatly to the economic development of the city. The prize was first awarded …

A podium discussion on the situation of third-country nationals who fled the war in Ukraine took place recently in the East German city of Halle. There are currently about 38,000 refugees from Ukraine without Ukrainian citizenship in Germany. The objectives of the event, organised by AWO Akademie Mitteldeutschland, were to reflect on the racist experiences of the African refugees, spotlight …