Germany

The German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, has voted to fine social media networks up to €50 million if they fail to remove hateful content or fake news. The networks will be given 24 hours to block or delete any inappropriate content. “Freedom of speech ends where criminal law begins,” Justice Minister Heiko Maas said, adding that the measure …

A District Court (Landgericht) in the western city of Aachen has ordered the operator of a fitness studio chain to pay a compensation of 2,500 euros to an African as damages for discriminating against him. The man had been repeatedly refused membership in a fitness studio in Aachen owned by EasyFit in a way the court found to have contravened …

The struggle of the Black community in Berlin to have streets named after controversial figures of German colonialism in Africa changed seems to have finally started yielding fruits. For the first time an extensive renaming of streets connected with German colonialism in the federal capital will be carried out. Sabine Weissler (Greens), councillor for culture, said on Wednesday that new …

 The Embassy of Kenya in Berlin is inviting all Kenyans living in Germany to its annual general meeting with citizens – Kenyan Diaspora Day – on Saturday, 3 June 2017 in Frankfurt am Main. The event, which will be hosted by Ambassador Joseph Magutt, will also be attended by senior officials from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Nairobi Securities Exchange, …

Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge or BAMF) has issued a warning to asylum-seekers in the country to beware of dupers who may call them to demand money for a favourable result on their asylum request or to prevent their deportation. “The Federal Office has been informed that persons are being threatened again by …

The German parliament has passed legislation to tighten the country’s asylum laws, making it easier to deport failed asylum-seekers and monitor those deemed dangerous to public security in a move that has been slammed by opposition parties and rights groups as an assault on the rights of refugees. These are the new regulations in the legislation passed by the federal …

A newspaper report citing federal police statistics has indicated the number of potential terrorists in Germany is increasing. More than 600 people are considered capable of carrying out an attack.  According to a report in the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” newspaper published on Thursday (11 May), the number of people in Germany considered by authorities to be at risk of becoming …

In a bid to increase the number of asylum-seekers choosing to leave Germany voluntarily, the country’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the International Organisation for Migration on Thursday (11 May) launched www.returningfromgermany.de, a new online portal providing information for those interested in voluntarily returning to their home country. ReturningFromGermany.de expands on a similar scheme that started in …

Germany’s minister of economic co-operation and development, Dr Gerd Müller, is presently promoting a plan to redesign the country’s relationship with Africa. Launched in Berlin early this year, the plan proposes new planks in German-African ties with the aim of promoting sustainable political stability and economic growth in Africa. ‘Marshall Plan with Africa’, in a nutshell, is a way to …

Germany is working on new rules to ensure that most marriages involving minors are not legally recognised in the country. The draft law aims to protect girls who were married abroad and sought asylum in Germany. It will allow youth welfare workers to take underage brides into care and, if necessary, separate them from their husbands. “Children do not belong …

 – MY LIFE IN GERMANY – A successful young African professional , a senior consultant at Oracle Germany, talks about his life from his roots in Cameroon to how he came to study and work in Germany, and the useful lessons he has learnt along the way. He gives invaluable tips to African students in the country. “I was born …

As from 1 April, some changes, ranging from the introduction of a new €50 banknote to additional regulations of temporary work, will enter into effect in Germany. And learners have to prepare for a more difficult driving license test!  —————————- New Restrictions for Temporary Agency Work From 1 April 2017, several changes to the German Law on Temporary Work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz …

Virginia Wangare Greiner, the founder of Maisha e. V., a psychosocial centre in Frankfurt, has been honoured with the prestigious Elisabeth Norgall International Award. She was bestowed with the honour recently by the International Women’s Club (IWC) of Frankfurt in recognition of her efforts concerning the needs and problems of women. Ms Greiner, who is originally from Kenya, has been honoured …

Members of centre-left SPD have confirmed Martin Schulz as the party’s new leader and candidate to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany’s federal election in September. Schulz, the former president of the European Parliament, was unanimously chosen by delegates at the party’s congress in Berlin on Sunday. “I want to be the next chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,” …

What is it like to be a Black person living in Germany? What does it mean to be excluded from your own society? Prominent guests met recently to discuss these questions and more at the launch of the new multimedia project ‘Afro.Germany’ by the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). “I used to want to be white,” says Jana Pareigis, …

"Adults can't change much, their mind is already made up, even if I try to speak to that person. But with young people, you can really talk to them and make it clear: We are all the same. The children are our future."

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge or BAMF) has set up telephone counselling service for refugees and asylum-seekers who are willing to voluntarily return to their home countries. The call centre service is offered in English and German. According to the BAMF, asylum-seekers, refugee aid organisations, public institutions and volunteers can use the counselling …

Germany has unveiled a new national passport with improved security features. The new passport has a new design as well and is slightly smaller than the previous one. The redesigned identity document, which features a security mark in the shape of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, was shown to the public for the first time on Thursday in Berlin. “The new German …

Today the number of foreigners has increased now. In the 1970s and 80s we were not so many. I remember being called “Kunta Kinte” in the suburb of Aachen where I used to live because I was the only Black guy around.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), which oversees telecommunications in the country, has recommended the destruction of the Cayla dolls after experts revealed they can be hacked. Researchers say hackers can use an unsecure Bluetooth device embedded in the toy to listen and talk to the child playing with it, posing a potential danger to the child. In the past few …