LIVING IN GERMANY

The citizen’s income (Bürgergeld) will be introduced in Germany in January. The Bundesrat, the upper house of the federal parliament, approved the social reform legislation on 25 November after the lower house, the Bundestag, had earlier passed it. The Bürgergeld, which will replace the basic income support for job-seekers (Hartz IV) that was introduced in 2005, is a basic allowance …

The German parliament, the Bundestag, passed amendments to the residence and asylum laws on 4 December. The governing coalition calls the two laws passed the first phase of its plans to reform the country’s migration laws. One of the new laws, named “opportunity for right to stay” (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht), which enters into force on 1 January 2023, provides for the grant …

After years of protests led by the Black community and their White German allies, a square and a street in the African Quarter in Berlin-Wedding were renamed on Friday. Both had bore the names of German officials who were in the forefront of Germany’s colonisation of East Africa in the 1880s and 1890s, often employing brutal military force. The former …

The year 2022 is drawing to a close, but it still brings some changes with it in December. Among other things, gas and district heating customers will receive relief payments, the winter timetable of Deutsche Bahn will commence and the ban on fire crackers ends. Here’s an overview of new laws and regulations that will come into force. —— More …

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken out in favour of reforming Germany’s citizenship law. The country needs “better regulations” for naturalisation, the SPD politician said in his video message “Kanzler kompakt”. People who have come to Germany in the past decades have contributed greatly to making the German economy so strong, Scholz said. “Some have lived here for a very, very …

The Sierra Leone Community Berlin Brandenburg e.V. (SLCBB) has launched a fundraising campaign for a community centre in the federal capital. According to the chairperson of the SLCBB, Daphne Decker-Hora, the association is seeking to acquire a 50 square metres (m2) property in Berlin that will function as a meeting point for Sierra Leoneans and their friends as well as …

In its efforts to bring African associations as well as Christian and Muslim organisations together, The African Network of Germany (TANG) convened its first network meeting on Sunday 20 November 2022. The event, attended by 22 participants who represented 15 groups, took place in the expansive office of TANG in the federal capital. In his welcome address, Femi Awoniyi, the …

The Honourable Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, will be honoured on Saturday (19 November) in Berlin, Germany. The FCT comprises the city of Abuja and its satellite towns. The Award/Gala Night, at which the 52-year-old minister will be bestowed with an award for excellence in public service, will take place …

The first Network Meeting of African social, cultural, development, national and religious organisations in Berlin takes place on Sunday, 20 November 2022. Convened by The African Network of Germany TANG e.V., the meeting is to bring African organisations together to get to know each other and collectively identify the needs of their community and deliberate on how to address these …

The German Africa Foundation (DAS) honours the scientists for their personal achievements in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic and as representatives of a highly educated, transnational research community that is at the forefront of medical research not only in Africa but also internationally.

Like every month, November 2022 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. Here’s an overview of what the new month brings —– Sales tax on gas reduced Rising energy prices have already become a major burden for many citizens. For this reason, the federal government is temporarily reducing the VAT rate on the supply of gas. This will …

The African Youth Education Awards (AYEA) 2022 marked its 10th anniversary on Saturday, 22 October, in Hamburg. The prestigious venue, a hall in the historic building housing the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hamburg, was packed full of young people, their parents and guests, including diplomats, politicians, city officials and a vice-president of the German federal parliament (Bundestag), Aydan …

A group supporting Africans who had fled the war in Ukraine and are currently seeking refuge in Germany has launched a series of online information sessions. The webinar series, implemented by the non-profit organisation Horizon Resource Network under the auspices of ‘Help for Africans from Ukraine in Germany’ (HAUG), is to provide an orientation guide to the affected Africans, who …

By highlighting success stories, AYAE has become a veritable source of inspiration for greater educational achievements among youths of African origin in Germany

Early this year, Gosab Group, a provider of nursing care service in Germany owned by Nigerian-born entrepreneur Godfrey Chukwuemeka Evurulobi, took over the management of an old people’s home in Pulheim-Stommeln, a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia. Before taking over the nursing home from Caritas, the Gosab Group – comprising Gosab Personalmanagement & Consulting, Gosab Care GmbH and Gosabflex GmbH …

Amid soaring inflation, particularly for food and energy, the gap between rich and poor in Germany is widening. Incremental increases to social safety nets will do little to alleviate the problem, experts warn. A special report by Sabine Kinkartz/DW Although Germany is one of the richest countries in the world, signs of increasing poverty are becoming increasingly visible across the …

More than one third of students from non-EU countries who began studying in Germany between 2006 and 2011 are still living in Germany ten years later, which means that they have stayed on after completing their studies, the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Wednesday. Around 184,200 international students received a residence title for the purposes of studying in …

Do you want to start a business, grow or revitalise your existing company and need inspiration, advice and funds? The German Founders and Entrepreneurs Days (Die Deutschen Gründer- und Unternehmertage or deGUT), holding in Berlin on 14-15 October, is the place to be. In addition to a comprehensive, free seminar and workshop program, the fair offers information on all start-up …

Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil has announced an imminent reform of Germany’s immigration law to address the shortage of skilled workers in the country. The shortage of skilled workers has risen to a new high in Germany, affecting 49.7 percent of companies in July, according to the ifo Institute. Germany would have to pull out all the stops to secure …

Like every month, October 2022 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. For example, the minimum wage will rise to twelve euros, the value-added tax on gas will go down and new COVID-19 rules enter into force, among other new laws and regulations. Here’s an overview of what will change in the new month ———— Minimum wage rises …