MIGRATION

To many people, it may come as a surprise that people decide to voluntarily leave the country to which they immigrated. However, the reality for migrants is that not all applications for asylum or residency are approved, leaving many in a situation where they have to consider leaving Germany.  This is just one reason, why a total of 10,762 people …

Berlin – One of the main concerns migrants have when considering returning to their countries of origin is finding a job to provide for themselves and their families. They may be out of touch with the job market back home, or unsure whether the skills gained in Germany will lead to employment. For many, starting their own business presents a …

Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Kai Wegner, has called for easing access to the labour market for refugees, highlighting the critical role of employment in successful integration. “Integration is best achieved by quickly taking up employment and learning the German language,” Wegner told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). The CDU politician emphasized the need to reform existing rules, noting that it benefits no one …

Bavaria has unveiled a new initiative aimed at simplifying the immigration process for skilled workers to address the state’s urgent labour shortages. As from next year’s summer the recognition of foreign professional qualifications will be expedited. According to Social Minister Ulrike Scharf, the ‘Fast Lane’ initiative is designed to streamline bureaucratic procedures, reducing waiting times for skilled immigrants. It will …

The 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies took place from 16-18 September in Bonn, bringing together over 400 participants from around the world for in-depth discussions on forced migration. Maarit Thiem, who led the BICC organising team, addresses the conference’s opening/Photo: Seddy Saidykhan Researchers, practitioners, students, and stakeholders, including refugee and migrant organizations, explored the many …

Germany and Kenya have recently signed a migration and labour agreement aimed at addressing Germany’s need for skilled workers while discouraging irregular migration. Signed in Berlin on 13 September 2024 by Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr Musalia Mudavadi, and witnessed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenyan President William Ruto, …

Germany will introduce controls at its nine land borders for the next six months beginning from 16 September, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced in Berlin on Monday. Accordingly, temporary border controls will be implemented at all of Germany’s land borders, including those with Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. Given that …

The 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies takes place in Bonn from 16-18 September 2024. Themed “Regional and Local Responses to Global Refugee Movements: Contexts, Challenges, Solutions”, it aims to explore the multifaceted dynamics of forced migration, including the root causes, the global and regional factors at play, and the challenges faced by both refugees and …

An international forum on forced migration and displacement caused by violent conflicts and natural disasters will convene from 16 to 18 September 2024 in the western German city of Bonn. The 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies brings together refugee and non-refugee researchers at all career levels, practitioners, students and interested parties, such as refugee/migrant organisations, …

Germany is not obliged to automatically recognise persons seeking protection as refugees because they already have been granted refugee status in another EU country. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in Luxembourg on Tuesday that the states of the European Union are not obliged to take such action. Background to the case: A Syrian national who obtained refugee status …

To mark the 2024 World Refugee Day, a broad alliance of refugee aid organisations, the church, politicians and cultural figures are organising many activities to commemorate the more than 60,000 people who have lost their lives in the Mediterranean or at Europe’s borders since 1993. World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees …

Germany is set to sign a migration deal with Kenya. This was disclosed by Germany’s Special Envoy for Migration Agreements, Joachim Stamp, in an interview with the Rheinische Post, according to the German press agency dpa. German government is currently negotiating migration agreements with some non-EU countries, including Kenya, in its quest to make migration to Germany more orderly and …

The 24th International Migration Conference will take place from 12 to 14 June 2024 at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. Focus of the conference is on the topic «Global Citizenship Education» and «current pressing challenges in the context of migration and ‘Sustainable Global Social Work’». With the conference theme “Global Citizenship Education”, the 24th International Migration Conference has chosen a …

USD$3.4 million grant from Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Energizing Development (EnDev) will subsidize the cost of each unit for households in refugee camps and surrounding host communities  SAN FRANCISCO, CA., AND NAIROBI, KENYA – Wednesday 15 May 2024 – d.light, the global provider of transformational household products and affordable finance for low-income households, is providing 10,000 subsidized solar home …

For allegedly not cooperating in readmitting its citizens repatriated from Europe, the Council of European Union has announced temporary restrictions to the grant of visa to citizens of Ethiopia by Schengen member states. Henceforth, member states will no longer waive requirements with regard to the evidence to be submitted by Ethiopian visa applicants, will not issue multiple entry visas and …

A controversial United Kingdom government bill to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda finally secured the approval of the upper house of parliament on Monday and has been assented to by King Charles. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who hopes the controversial law will boost the fortunes of his Conservative Party in an election expected to take place later this year, said his …

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted ten legislative texts to reform European migration and asylum policy as agreed with EU member states. Analysts say the sweeping reform of Europe’s asylum policies, reached after nearly a decade of negotiations, would harden border procedures and force all the bloc’s 27 nations to share responsibility. Here are the ten decisions made by the …

The European Union (EU) and Egypt have made a deal under which the north African country will receive financial support in return for closer cooperation on migration with the 27-nation bloc. “Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed the joint political declaration document to elevate relations between Egypt and the European …

Last year was a tragic year for migrants, marking the deadliest toll since 2014, according to the International Organisation for Migration. A staggering 8,565 lives were lost on migration routes worldwide, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous year. These heartbreaking figures underscore the urgent need for action to prevent further loss of life, says the UN agency, emphasizing …

Official figures reveal that the EU received more than 1.14 million asylum applications in 2023, the highest number since 2016. Far-right parties could capitalize on the influx in June’s EU elections. Jack Parrock reports More than 1.14 million people applied for asylum in the EU in 2023, according to annual figures released by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). …