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Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder has unveiled new measures to speed up the asylum process and deport rejected applicants. He believes the rest of Germany should follow his lead. With Bavaria’s elections only a few months away, State Premier Markus Söder of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), is advocating a tougher stance on asylum-seekers. The CSU, which has traditionally dominated …

In a surprise move, Ethiopia announced Tuesday that it would fully accept the 12 December 2000 Algiers Agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which established a special boundary commission. The Algiers Agreement stipulated that the two states, fresh out of a two-year costly war, would accept a decision by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) as “final and binding.” …

“Germany said it has about 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerians seeking asylum and they can’t guarantee they will get it. So, there is every possibility that they will be returned to Nigeria,” Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said. She spoke at a program; “Developing a mixed migration strategy for …

Unemployment in the Euro area is at its lowest level since 2008 according to Eurostat. The rate fell to 8.5% in April from an upwardly revised 8.6% in March. Greece, Spain and Italy recorded the highest rates of unemployment while the Czech Republic, Malta and Germany recorded the lowest. The eurozone consists of 19 members who are EU members and use the euro. …

The minimum age for a Nigerian to run for political office has been reduced to twenty-five years from the previous thirty years cap. This follows the signing into law of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill. President Muhammadu Buhari signed the law at the presidential villa in Abuja Thursday flanked by a number of young advocates who vigorously campaigned for the bill. Of …

Denmark has joined several other European countries in banning the full-face veil worn by some Muslim women in public spaces. In a 75 to 30 vote on Thursday, Danish legislators passed the law presented by Denmark’s centre-right governing coalition. The law was also backed by the Social Democrats and the far-right Danish People’s Party.  “Anyone who wears a garment that …

Radu Mazare is one of more than 3 million Romanians who work outside the country. But he’s a little different to most of them. He first started to visit the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar as an alternative to his usual holiday destination of Brazil. “I felt amazing from the first visit back in 2011,” he told Euronews. When he …

Rival Libyan factions agreed on Tuesday in Paris to create a political framework paving the way for UN-backed parliamentary and presidential elections in a secure environment by 10 December 2018. The deal aims to end the country’s seven-year-old conflict. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the UN-backed unity government in Tripoli, eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar and …

An estimated 5,000 supporters of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party demonstrated in Berlin on Sunday “for the future of Germany” in the party’s largest gathering since it became Germany’s top opposition party. AfD supporters shouting “Merkel must go” were largely outnumbered by rival demonstrations, gathering about 20,000 people, according to police estimates, however. Excerpts of  Jefferson Chase’s report …

“Global Networking & Modern Economy” was the motto of this year’s Africa Day Conference. AfricanTide Union e.V. hosted the event for the eighth year in Dortmund. From May 24 to 26 representatives of African Diaspora communities met politicians and ambassadors, entrepreneurs, creative minds and interested citizens from Germany and abroad at the Dortmund Town Hall. The economic situation in Africa …

Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to repeal its ban on abortion in a referendum the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar described as a “quiet revolution.” The result was a landslide 66.4% ‘yes’ vote against 33.6% who voted ‘no’. Voters were asked if they wished to scrap the eighth amendment, which gives an unborn child equal rights to life as a pregnant …

Tanzania’s Gerald Bigurube and Madagascar’s Clovis Razafimalala have dedicated their lives to saving their countries’ natural heritage. They are the recipients of this year’s annual German Africa Prize. Forty-four years. That’s the amount of time environmentalist Gerald Bigurube has dedicated to saving Tanzania’s wildlife and natural environment. As the long-time head of Tanzania’s National Parks Authority (TANAPA), the 66-year-old has led the …

A sweets manufacturer in Germany has apologised for comparing Meghan Markle to a chocolate-covered marshmallow. Super Dickmann’s posted the controversial image on Facebook on 19 May, the same day that the former US actress married British royal Prince Harry. The image was accompanied with the caption: “What are you looking at? Wouldn’t you also want to be Meghan today?” Many …

Nigeria has faulted claims that there were 30,000 of its citizens as irregular migrants in Germany who are awaiting repatriation. The Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said on Wednesday that Nigeria disputes the figure. “To begin with, we dispute that figure of 30,000. That is not the case. We do not have up to 30,000 Nigerian asylum …

The three-year deal will also see ‘Visit Rwanda’ become Arsenal’s official Tourism Partner. The Rwanda Development Board, through its subsidiary, the Rwandan Convention Bureau, has become Arsenal’s first official sleeve partner as part of the country’s drive to become a leading global tourist destination. The three-year deal will also see ‘Visit Rwanda’ become Arsenal’s official Tourism Partner. The ‘Visit Rwanda’ …

Nationwide protests were held this week in Nigeria to mark the funeral of two priests and 17 church members in Benue State. The government must do more to protect the people, Nigeria’s Catholic bishops say. Katrin Gänsler of the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reports from Gwer, Benue State. Felicia Tabo slowly makes her way through the crowds of …

The German Federal Office for Migration and Asylum (BAMF) will re-examine some 18,000 cases in which refugees were granted asylum in Germany, the agency’s director, Jutta Cordt, has announced. The inspection will cover all successful asylum applications filed as far back as 2000, she added while addressing a press conference on Friday. The measure will be applied to all asylum …

The UN migration agency has announced that 700 Ghanaian migrants have been repatriated from Libya since June last year as part of a program on voluntary assisted repatriations in co-operation with the European Union. A total of 706 Ghanaian migrants (661 men and 45 women) who were stranded in Libya have been assisted to return home since June 2017 as …

The Europe chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has reassured that it would host a Diaspora Conference in London in July, saying a recent campaign of calumny and blackmail against the event by a faceless group would not stop it from organising the conference. Chair, NIDO Europe, Kenneth Gbandi, gave the assurance in a statement issued in Hamburg, …

 Germany has put forward a new proposal for the repatriation of some 30,000 undocumented Nigerian migrants to their home country. Dr Jan Hecker, foreign policy adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, visited Abuja last week to hold talks with Nigerian officials on the deportation plan. In an exclusive interview with the German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW), Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama …