The Opportunity Residence Act (“Chancenaufenthaltsgesetz”) comes into force on 1 January 2023. Tolerated persons in Germany who had been living in Germany for five years or more on the cut-off date of 1 October 2022 are to receive a residence permit “on probation”. Tolerated persons are people who are obliged to leave the country but are allowed to stay temporarily …
Read More »Seven Years in Europe – Musa’s Return to the Gambia
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.Learn more Load video Always unblock YouTube A migrant’s personal story of return, resolution, and resilience Tübingen – It’s a warm summer day in 2021. Musa Coker sits in the office of his return counsellor. He has visited the small office in Southwest Germany multiple times this year, seeking information, advice …
Read More »Supporting migrants in Germany in their native language
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.Learn more Load video Always unblock YouTube If you’re thinking of returning to your country of origin but have questions about what life is like in the country or what support you can receive once you’ve gone back, virtual counselling may provide you with the help you need. Virtual Counselling is …
Read More »Germany: Reduced benefits for asylum-seekers in group accommodation unconstitutional, highest court declares
According to a ruling of Germany’s highest court on constitutional matters, the reduction of benefits for single adult asylum-seekers in group accommodation facilities is unconstitutional. The regulation, according to which asylum-seekers living in group accommodation receive ten per cent less benefits than refugees living in flats, violates the basic right to be guaranteed a minimum subsistence level worthy of human …
Read More »Germany deports Nigerians in new repatriation action, group protests
“The living situation in Nigeria is catastrophic, inflation is driving food prices to unaffordable levels, hunger is rampant. The security situation is worse than ever. Boko Haram terror, violence, attacks and kidnappings create a climate of constant fear”
Read More »Supporting Africans from Ukraine in Hamburg
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, more than 600,000 Ukrainians and people of other nationalities resident in the country have entered Germany to seek refuge. Among the refugees are Africans, most of whom are students. Africans fleeing the war have been reportedly discriminated against while crossing the country’s borders into safety. Beyond their unsavoury …
Read More »Germany to grant residence permit to tolerated asylum-seekers
The federal government plans to reform the country’s migration laws. Among the features of the reform is the grant under certain conditions of regular residence permit to well-integrated asylum-seekers who have been living in Germany for more than five years with a so-called ‘tolerated stay permit’ (Duldung). A total of up to 105,000 people, whose deportation has been repeatedly suspended …
Read More »Treat all refugees from Ukraine equally — German organisations, activists appeal
Against the background of the difficult situation of non-Ukrainian nationals from Ukraine who were displaced by the war in the country and are currently seeking refuge in Germany, refugee, rights and diaspora support groups have issued an open letter to the Federal Interior Minister, demanding that all refugees from Ukraine should be treated equally. —— OPEN LETTER On the occasion …
Read More »Germany: Free public transport for refugees from Ukraine ends
Until now, refugees from Ukraine have been able to use public transport in cities and towns across Germany without a ticket. This regulation expires on 31 May 2022. Refugees from Ukraine therefore require a ticket when travelling on public transport from 1 June. An affordable alternative is the 9-Euro Ticket, which entitles holders to travel on public transport (regular buses, …
Read More »IOM Germany launches Survey of non-Ukrainian refugees from Ukraine
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Germany has launched a survey of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) from Ukraine in Germany. The pilot survey aims to generate first knowledge pertaining to TCNs’ needs, challenges and also vulnerabilities in Germany in order to inform advocacy and projects by IOM Germany and relevant stakeholders. The survey is easily accessible online via numerous devices (Computer, …
Read More »Prolonged stay of Ukrainian refugees likely – German minister
The opinion of migration experts that refugees from Ukraine will stay longer in Germany as expected has now been supported by a member of the federal cabinet. Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil considers a longer stay of war refugees likely due to the level of destruction in many Ukrainian cities. “We have to be prepared for long periods of stay …
Read More »Germany: Important information for Africans from Ukraine
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, more than 4 million Ukrainians and people of other nationalities resident in the country have fled to other European countries. According to the German government, more than 400,000 of the displaced are currently in Germany to seek refuge – among these are thousands of Africans. While the legal …
Read More »Germany extends visa free status for refugees from Ukraine
The edict allowing people fleeing the war in Ukraine to enter Germany without a visa and reside in the country without a permit has been extended. The Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance (UkraineAufenthÜV), issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on 7 March 2022, is currently valid until 23 May 2022. An amendment** of the edict was approved by the …
Read More »Support group for Africans from Ukraine launches in Germany
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, about 4 million Ukrainians and people of other nationalities resident in the country have been seeking refuge in European countries, according to the UN refugee agency. Among the refugees are Africans and Asians, many of whom are students, who are resident in Ukraine. Non-Ukrainians fleeing the war have …
Read More »Musa’s Return to The Gambia after Seven Years in Europe
A migrant’s personal story of return, resolution and resilience Tübingen – It’s a warm summer day in 2021. Musa Coker sits in the office of his return counsellor. He has visited the small office in Southwest Germany multiple times this year, seeking information, advice and counsel and discussing his return to The Gambia, his country of origin. Today, Musa will …
Read More »Ukraine: Germany promises better registration of refugees
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, speaking in the Bundestag (federal parliament) on Wednesday, said the registration of displaced persons from the war in Ukraine was currently being improved. Refugees who are admitted to initial reception centres are registered there. This should be further intensified, she said. As at Wednesday (16 March), the Federal Police had registered around 175,000 refugees from …
Read More »Germany deports 34 Nigerians aboard charter flight
According to the information of Refugees4Refugees, a rights group, 34 Nigerians were deported to their home country on Tuesday (15 March). It was the first deportation carried out onboard a charter flight this year. The deportees, who were forcibly returned aboard an aircraft belonging to Iberojet to Lagos, are persons whose asylum claims had be rejected. Thirty of the 34 …
Read More »EU court rules against Germany on detention of deportees
Germany has suffered defeat at the European Court of Justice over the detention of persons to be deported. The court ruled that would-be deportees should not be remanded in a place that could be described as a prison People who are to be deported may not be detained as if they were prisoners, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has …
Read More »IOM: “Our priority is that people get the support they ask for”
How an IOM frontline worker goes beyond return counselling by providing African migrants in Germany with the support they need Berlin – It is a full day for Danielle Al-Qassir at the foreign immigration office in Berlin. “I have clients calling me on my work phone, my private phone and the landline, and we have clients coming in in-person,” she …
Read More »Free digital training course for migrant women in Berlin
The FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin e.V. is offering a free digital empowerment training program to improve the media competence of women migrants and refugees in the city. The course, which begins on 12 August, aims at improving the computer and language skills of the participants, who will learn how the Internet, computer and smartphone work and how they can use these technologies independently …
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