EUROPE

Refugees that were accepted by Germany over the past years have shown a deeper devotion to European democratic principles in a whole range of aspects than their host citizens.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced she will stand in next year’s elections for a fourth term. She made the announcement in Berlin on Sunday evening. Addressing the media from a platform with the word “The Center” (Die Mitte) written on it in Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party colours, Merkel said on 20 November that her decision to stand was not a trivial …

Kenneth Gbandi has been elected the new chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE). The election took place at the weekend in Athens, Greece, during the annual general meeting of the body. The event was graced by, among others, Hon. Rita Odichimma Orji, Chairperson of the Federal House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora …

Germany’s interior ministry reportedly wants people seeking international protection stopped at sea and returned to north Africa to then apply for asylum in the EU. A spokesperson for the ministry told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday (6 November) that the plan would save lives and undermine a lucrative smuggling trade. “The goal must be to remove the basis …

The Hamburg-based communal politician, journalist, business consultant and media entrepreneur spoke in an exclusive interview with Femi Awoniyi in Berlin on the challenges facing NIDO, how Nigeria can attract more German investment and how best President Muhammadu Buhari should handle Biafra agitation and the Niger-Delta militants. He also talked about his aspiration to the chair of NIDO Europe and what he plans to do to bring about a more active Diaspora involvement in national development.

In the majority of cases Romanians are convicted for petty crime, such as shoplifting, burglary and pickpocketing.

Descendants of the victims of genocide have marched in Berlin to demand their direct involvement in reparations talks.

Under the theme Restorative Justice after Genocide, the German NGO community meets descendants of the victims of the Ovaherero and Nama genocides 1904-1908 from all over the world on 14-16 October in Berlin. The conference is organised by Berlin Postkolonial in cooperation with AfricAvenir International, the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation (OGF), the Nama Technical Committee on Genocide, the Association of the …

African women from across Europe and guests from Africa gathered recently at the prestigious Maritim Hotel in the western German city of Dusseldorf. The conference with the theme “Leadership and Integration for Change” was attended by more than hundred participants. The meeting was organised by African Women in Europe ( AWE ). Founded in 2008 by Joy Wanjiru Zenz and …

Maisha e.V. hosted the International Conference on Political Participation of Migrant Women in Frankfurt recently. The event, featuring podium discussions and workshops, explored how women of African descent, migrant women in Germany and even refugees could better be involved in the political process to champion their interests. The conference was organised in collaboration with ASA, a programme of Engagement Global …

Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the attacks in Wurzburg and Ansbach as “Islamic terror” but assured that the country will continue to offer refuge to those fleeing war and political persecution. The attacks were shocking, distressing and depressing, the Chancellor said at a press conference in Berlin today (28 July). “Taboos of civilisation are being broken,” she said, referring to …

British Muslims are the most generous charity-givers, according to the UK’s Charity Commission, which says Muslims gave about £100 million to charities over the month of Ramadan alone. The news confirms Muslims’ reputation as being the most generous religious group when it comes to charitable donations. The Charity Commission’s Nick Donaldson described the £100 million as being the equivalent of …

About half of Europeans fear the arrival of refugees raises the risk of attacks in their countries, a survey published on Monday found, and many, especially in the east, see them as a burden on their economy. Washington-based Pew Research Center found the share of people believing that “refugees will increase the likelihood of terrorism in our country” was, among …

US-Nigerian poet and devel­op­ment com­mu­ni­ca­tions scholar, who teaches Yoruba at the Uni­ver­sity of Florida, Gainsville, writes about his experiences at Bonn’s first sus­tain­abilty bar camp which took place on 25 June.

Despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from the “Leave” campaign, not all British citizens of African decent believe that the UK should remain in the EU. The eyes of the world are on the UK this week as it heads into its historic referendum to decide whether voters want Britain to leave the European Union (Brexit) or remain a member of …

Maazi Chukwuma Eze is the National Co-ordinator of Ndi Igbo Germany (NIG). Ndi Igbo means Igbo people, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The businessman, who is the proprietor of EZE Motors and EZE Shipping Service in Hanover, talks about the Nigerian economy, the performance of the one-year old Buhari administration, Igbo self-determination agitations and the situation …

British-Nigerian politician Festus Akinbusoye on why he’ll be voting for Britain to remain in Europe, when the country goes to the polls on 23 June. The only thing more irresponsible than keeping quiet about the likelihood of negative economic impacts of a Brexit is to pretend there won’t be any real impact at all. It is quite disingenuous of some …

There should be no place for racism in any civilised society. To fight it should be everybody’s duty, but parents in particular should be bound to take more responsibility for their children’s education, since they naturally play a crucial role in their social development. Adapting to this challenge, parents of children of African origin in Berlin, organised in an association …

African women from across Europe will gather in the western German city of Düsseldorf on 18 June. Organised by African Women in Europe (AWE) Network under the theme Leadership & Integration for Change, the one-day event will feature discussions on issues affecting African women, their career development and the opportunities for professional advancement. Among the speakers billed to speak at …

Humanitas Afrika launched a creative initiative last year to promote positive Africa in the Czech Republic. Around Africa in a Month is a platform of constructive dialogue to discuss serious issues that showcase the various contributions that the African Diaspora communities are making to the development of Africa and Europe. In this first interview in a series, Martha Ronke Ayorinde …